Legacy
by I dream of Eden
Summary: Eric always wanted to be like the most esteemed leader in dauntless history. He didn't count on his idol's own daughter to be the one to see through him and challenge him at every turn (Eric/OC) M rating for language, sex and violence
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone, I just wanted to give a little extra info about my story as it's slightly AU. In this, the choosing ceremony takes place at the age of 17 and initiation and basic training goes for about nine months. Four takes the first stage but hands it off to other trainers after that.**

 **Maggie and Ro are 18 by the time the story starts. Uriah, Tris & co being 19. Eric, Four and Zeke are 21.**

 **As I write this story, I picture the characters as seen in the films but feel free to imagine them as you wish.**

 **Because there is a strong focus on the conflict with the factionless, divergence is not perceived as a threat in this story**

 **Prologue**

 _It had been 20 long years since the factionless had begun their uprising. Every way the people of Chicago turned, they were being terrorized by the rebels who didn't belong in the system. Ruthless attacks caused the deaths of countless innocent lives and it seemed that the factionless were winning their war. When Thorin Ivor rose in the rankings at dauntless, he all but abolished the factionless with his leadership. His faction would follow him anywhere. Until four years ago. Something changed dramatically in the factionless sector and they grew more ruthless and smart. And they decided to put an end to Thorin Ivor._

 **. . . . .**

 _Maggie was dreaming sweetly when she felt herself being shaken. Sleepily, she opened one eye to see her brother, Caden looking at her. It wouldn't be the first time he roused her from sleep but something was different. There was a panicked look in his eyes and before she could question him, he covered her mouth with his hand._

" _Get up. Quickly." Maggie tried to sit up, although Caden hadn't quite taken the pressure off her shoulder for her to do so._

" _Are you ok? What's going on?"_

 _Caden paused and crouched down. Even though he was only three years older than her, he was so much taller. Clearly taking after their father. He would be monstrous one day._

" _Maggie," he started, his words barely a whisper "I need you to hide. Go to the closet and stay there. Don't come out no matter what you hear..."_

 _Light, footsteps sounded from the hall and Caden jumped up, guiding Maggie into the shadows before the door swung open._

" _Here's another one" a deep voice casually called toward the open door. He grabbed Caden by the arm and shoved him out of the room, Caden struggling and fighting the whole way. Still groggy and confused from sleep, Maggie ignored Caden's instructions, instead, padding quietly out of the room, clinging to the shadows and following the voices she could hear beyond the hallway. They were muffled and she couldn't quite make out what they were saying._

 _As she got closer, Maggie could see four burly men and a woman standing in a semi circle. They wore the ragged scrappy clothes of the factionless. Motioning threateningly towards three figures, kneeling on the floor...her family. Her mother and Caden were looking to the floor and Maggie could see the tears of her Mother, rolling silently down her face while her brother, her protector and friend, her sweet Caden sat motionless, his eyes glued to the carpet. Maggie could see her father being prodded with something. The woman inches from his face._

" _ANSWER ME!" the interrogator backhanded her father and flipped a knife over in her hands. Her Daddy sat unmoving. He didn't bat an eye and stoically regarded his captors, each in turn. Maggie inched forward silently, too afraid to breathe in case one of them was to hear her. She caught her father's eye and saw the barest of shakes of his head, stopping her from moving._

 _The air in the room was think with tension and Maggie was sure her thundering heart would give her away. Without warning, two of the men dashed forward, bringing blades upon her mother and brother, cutting their throats, leaving Maggie and her father to watch on in horror as they bled out over the floor. Maggie gagged, tightly covering her mouth and nose to keep herself from retching, her breaths coming out in shallow gasps. She could see her father breathing heavily, the anguish palpable on his face as he knelt helplessly, unable to save them._

 _The sound of merciless laughter filled the room as the leader and interrogator took slow, predatory steps toward the last remaining family Maggie had. She stooped down, looking her Daddy in the face but instead of looking back, he looked to Maggie. He held her eye with a look of intense love and even as the blade sliced his skin, his gaze never wavered. In his final moments in this world, Maggie could feel him willing all his strength to his little girl._

 **Chapter 1**

"You are now members of the warrior faction, tasked with the defence of this city and all of it's inhabitants. We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, and the courage..."

"Damn, Max is looking sexy as hell today" Ro leaned in to whisper to Maggie. They had made it. Newly initiated and fully fledged members of dauntless. It had been a long and difficult 10 years for Maggie. Even after all this time, there was a struggle within her between the person she was and the empty shell she was fighting to not become.

They were sitting in the pit, amongst the rest of their initiation class looking towards the makeshift stage that Max and the other leaders stood upon. Maggie had been successfully blocking out Max's eloquent if not overused speech. She had heard it all before in previous years and caught on early to the recycled content. Those were the ideals her father, Thorin stood for. The old ways of a once great faction. It wasn't like Max hadn't done a fine job of running Dauntless since her father's murder; He was a good man and great leader but Maggie couldn't help but notice the differences in the two men. He just didn't seem to have Thorin's heart. She couldn't be sure if it was because he was pushed into power so suddenly and at such a young age or if he just wasn't the man their faction needed him to be.

When Maggie had been found after the attack on her family, she was a broken rambling mess of blood and tears. Max had seen to it that she was placed with a good family who would care for her and help her to heal from her traumatic experience. He checked in with her regularly to make sure she would be ok and because of that, Maggie held an affection for him and she truly hoped that given the chance, Max could grow into the kind of leader Dauntless really needed.

Looking around the Pit, Maggie spotted Tam and Beau, the couple who raised her from 7 years old watching on proudly along with her neighbours and loving friends, the Pedrad brothers. Zeke was not much younger than Caden had been when Maggie met him. He was so much like her brother that it was both wonderful and painful to be near him the first year. He seemed to understand though and never pushed her, simply choosing to be there. Her silent rock in such a dark time. Where Zeke was the earth grounding Maggie back to life around her, Uriah brought the sunshine into her darkness, his easy happiness bringing her joy. Maggie wasn't sure she would have made it through the first years following the attack without them and was so grateful they were still together in the faction of their birth, going through life together.

Maggie's attention was caught by Ro as she very unsubtly checked out Max. It came as no surprise to her that she would be drawn to an amity transfer. She would have chosen their peaceful way of life herself if not for the war waging in the city and her own tragic past. Maggie knew from their first meeting on the train on their choosing day that Ro was special. Maybe because she held the same light in her eyes that Uriah did. They didn't train together during the first stage of initiation but in their free time, the girls sought each other out. Two girls so opposite from each other that they just worked as friends. Of course Ro, the carefree flowerchild had a way of keeping Maggie from dwelling on darker thoughts. Maggie just wished Ro would find someone else to gush to about her obsession with the much older leader.

"Yeah, he's really changing up his look today. As you can see, Max has chosen to wear...dauntless standard issue black. I've never seen him dressed like that before" Maggie quipped, earning a snort from Ro. She nudged Maggie in the arm.

"But look...Eric has developed a new expression. Today he is pissed off AND bored" Ro is all too happy to join in the banter.

"I wonder if that narcissistic glare is something he was born with, or do you think he practices in the mirror each morning?" Maggie's comments being overheard by a few of the nearest initiates, earned a round of snickering. The disruption didn't get passed Eric who began scowling in their direction. Ro bumped her leg against Maggie's as they tuned into the end of Max's speech.

"...respect that. Do us proud." Cheering began rising up within the pit as Max spoke the last words and Maggie turned to Ro, beaming. They laughed whole heartedly and embraced each other in celebration.

"We made it!" Maggie could feel her eyes well up. The girls were congratulating their fellow initiates when Maggie was lifted up into a bear hug and swung around. When her feet were back on the ground, she looked up into the ever cheerful face of Uriah.

"Nice work M. I knew you'd do awesome!"

Zeke stepped in front of his brother to give his own hug "Great to see you are a permanent member now. I'm really proud of you."

Maggie could feel her heart tighten at his kind words and before she had a chance to tear up, Uriah hooked his arm around hers.

"Drinks tonight, ladies? I think it's time we get the gang together."

"I'm in!" Ro piped up, looking enthusiastic. Maggie couldn't help but smile. Ro was always up for a party. "I just really need a shower first. Maggie and I will get ready and meet you at 7."

"Sounds great. See you in a bit." Zeke and Uriah went off to their own apartments while the girls headed back to the transfer initiates dorms. Being dauntless born, Maggie stayed in a different dorm to Ro but spent a lot of time with her in the transfer dorms. They were a good group of people this year so the locale was fun to her. The girls took turns to shower before Ro set to work on their hair and makeup. She chose to let her thick blonde hair fall loosely in slight waves down her back. Her brown eyes looking best with barely there makeup. They chatted happily all the while and Maggie couldn't help but muse how naturally adorable Ro was. She was a tiny little thing with a mega watt smile and sweet little button nose. That paired with her cheeky fun nature and at times, big mouth meant that it was difficult to miss her in a crowd. Maggie could picture how Ro was before their choosing day, running wild and free in the fields of Amity.

Even looking at the girls, it was easy to see how different they were, inside and out. Maggie was taller, with an athletic build thanks to her years of training and early dauntless lifestyle. Her skin a rich olive tone that didn't seem to fade even though she spent most of her days underground. Her hair long, light brown and her eyes a deep chocolate. Ro decided on styling Maggies hair in a bit of a wave, pinning the top half up away from her face. She refused makeup however, never being able to stand the feel of it. After Ro was satisfied with her own outfit, they headed to Maggie's dorm to pick a change of clothes for her. Being such different builds meant they couldn't share each other's clothes.

It was a little before 7 when they were ready so they decided to head out to the local hangout, the Black Crow, located just towards the edge of the pit. It was the only bar in dauntless so it was always crowded at this time of night. The girls looked around the bar area, not spotting their friends yet so they decided to take a booth off to the side. Ro cast longing glances off towards the back corner, where she noticed Max and some of the other leaders sitting. They always seemed to be so serious and on their guard that Maggie couldn't help but wonder if they ever had the chance to enjoy themselves. It was so out of place compared to the rest of the patrons of the pub.

"He's always looks so worried. I wonder if the situation out there is getting any worse." Ro mused, always with her eye on Max. Maggie didn't need to ask her what situation she was referring to. The war against the factionless had been going on since well before either of the girls were born. There was little luxury for the leaders to think about much else.

"I don't think it'll get any better anytime soon." Maggie frowned in their direction, "The factionless have been quiet lately as far as I know, but I'll bet that means something bad is about to go down."

"Do you ever worry they'll come back here to the compound?" it wasn't the first time Ro had tried to get Maggie to speak up about her past. It didn't come as a surprise that the entire city knew all about her and her family. Thorin's death was a shock to everyone and the hope that was lost along with him was bound to be the topic around many dinner tables. Usually it bothered Maggie when people tried to get her to open up about it but she was just too tired of it all to hide it from Ro. Maybe because she could tell it wasn't just to learn some juicy gossip, or to benefit from Maggie's pain. She genuinely seemed to want Maggie to heal.

"I don't know if I'm worried they will, or if I want them to. Really, they have been one step ahead of dauntless for so long that I doubt anything is being done to take them down. I'm pretty sure half the leaders here are more interested in their pay packets and sleeping on the job than actually protecting the city."

"Wow, sounds like in the two hours you've been an official member, you're an expert on the topic. Maybe you need to take over my job." The deep voice dripping with sarcasm and contempt sounded from behind Maggie, although she didn't need to turn to know who had overheard her conversation. She looked up to see Eric with that look on his face that always meant you were in for it. Really it was hard to tell if he was amused or pissed. "Do you have a game plan, Ivor? I mean, from the way you're talking, it sounds like you've already had a part in the fighting. It's funny, I don't recall you being there for any of it." He leans forward getting in her face. His menacing glare making her swallow loudly.

"I didn't mean anything by it. It's just..."

He cut her off, leaning in to growl lowly in her ear "Don't think just because of who your daddy was that we're all going to fall at your feet. Everyone else had to earn the right to be dauntless."

Maggie huffs, insulted by his insinuation. "I have as much right to be here as anyone else. Nobody pulled any strings to get me where I am!" her pointed stare clearly strikes a nerve in Eric and he clenches his jaw tightly. She can see he wants to retaliate but she isn't done with her rant. "Do you really think you could come here from your sheltered, privileged, fancy glass towers of Erudite and expect to be even half the leader my father was? You've got nothing on him. It's a wonder your arrogance hasn't run this faction into the ground! I may not have been old enough to fight until now but I can see it on everyone's faces that you haven't got their respect. No one wants to bleed for you."

"I think that's enough," Max's authoritarian voice interjects, having been alerted by how worked up Maggie was getting. "I suggest you take a step back, Maggie. We'll discuss this tomorrow when you come in with your unit application." She takes a breath before nodding her agreement, seeing Eric's rigid posture from the corner of her eye. Max nods to Eric to get him to move toward the leader's corner booth as Ro calls out a flirty farewell to Max. He pauses briefly, chuckling and continues away.

The girls hear a whistle and look up to see Uriah with an incredulous expression. "Woo, you got some balls, girl! Have fun every time you see Eric now for the rest of your life! He knows how to hold a grudge."

Maggie looks behind Uriah to see Zeke and their circle of friends. Amongst them are Four - who took Ro's initiation class, as well as the simulation stage of training – his girlfriend, Tris, and their other friends Christina and Will.

"That man is such an asshole" Christina pipes up, sliding into the booth beside Ro. "I think we could use a round, Pedrad" she suggests to Uriah.

"Sure, sure. What'll it be ladies?" Maggie thinks for a moment, dragging up memories of their rebellious youth.

"How about a round of the Uri special?" he grins wickedly at her suggestion and heads over to the bar.

"Well that sounds like trouble in a glass." Ro smiles at the thought as the rest of the group take seats around the table.

"Ah, you must be the only one not to have experienced it yet, Ro! Take my advice and sip slowly." Zeke tells her with a wink. His suggestion brings a round of laughter from the group.

"That's good advice I wish they had shared with us when we first tried it." This time, Tris joins the conversation. "Will, Chris and I spent the entire next day confined to the bathroom floor. I don't remember ever feeling that sick before. It was awful."

"Gross! Sounds like a great way to get to know each other." Ro was now chomping at the bit to try it for herself.

"That's one way to think of it. I couldn't look Will in the eye for days I was so embarrassed. It was a little too soon in our relationship for him to be hearing me hurl my guts up!" Will just smiled at Christina, patting her on the leg. "He didn't seem to worried though." She winked at him and he pecked her on the cheek.

Maggie looks over to see Four sitting quietly, taking in the conversation. "It's good to be able to have a drink with you now, Four. Zeke always speaks very highly of you." He nods and smiles in return as Uriah approaches the table with a tray of drinks and passes them around. Once everyone has a glass in their hand, he speaks up.

"To Maggie and Ro. You're part of the faction now. Be brave. Welcome to Dauntless." The table erupts with sounds of cheers and glasses clinking and the group all take a drink, beginning to chatter comfortably with each other.

A couple rounds later, Ro is admiring one of the tattoos Christina wears on her arm. Its a moth which Christina explains is to signify one of her fears.

"It's really great" Ro says while grabbing a napkin and a pen "but what if you added this.." and she begins drawing an intricate design that would look striking around the outside of the moth. When she is done, Christina looks on impressed.

"That looks awesome! You draw really well."

"Thanks." Ro replies "it was always my favourite thing to do in amity.

"So if you enjoy artistry so much, why did you transfer?" Four looks on curious.

"My aptitude test for one, but I wasn't really sold on the idea of transferring until Max made the speech on choosing day."

At that Maggie starts to chuckle. "Love at first sight Ro?" she teases her friend affectionately.

"Romantic as that sounds, no. I just really felt moved by his interpretation of what it means to be Dauntless. It was inspired and I just knew that it was the right choice for me. And it helps that Max is sexy as fuck.." the end of her statement is met with a chorus of disgusted groans.

"Ew! Vomit!"

"That's just wrong.."

"He's so crusty and old.."

Maggie is thoroughly entertained by their reactions. "Save your breath guys. I can tell you right now she won't listen. This girl is smitten with the boss man."

"You know, Ro, you can be an artist and a badass here. It is Dauntless after all." Ro looks towards Christina in confusion. "I'm one of the tattoo artists here. I get to have fun for a living and if there is any call for help, we down our needles and join the fight. It's the best of both worlds. And being the faction of the bold and crazy, you will never be bored." Ro sits up interested.

"Is there a position available? How does it work?"

"Well, we will start by talking to Tori. It's up to her who is worthy of beginning an apprenticeship. I'm still going with mine but the place is always really busy so I'm sure she'll be happy to hire an extra set of hands.

"That sounds amazing! Where can I find her? Is now a good time? Or should I wait until tomorrow..?" Christina laughs at Ro's enthusiasm.

"Easy there tiger. She's not working tonight. I'll speak to her tomorrow and let you know what she says," satisfied with that answer, the girls fall into easy conversation with Will and Uri while Maggie chats with Zeke, Four and Tris.

"What about you, Maggie?" Four asks "we could always use more good workers in the control room."

"Thanks, Four but I was actually thinking more along the lines of working with the patrol squads. I have been listening to Zeke talking about them for the past few years and it sounds like really interesting work." Zeke nods at this, deep in thought. She notices the frown lines appear on his forehead "What? You don't think its a good fit?"

"It's not that I think you wouldn't do well there, I'm just worried you have other reasons for joining us." As much as Maggie doesn't want to say it out loud, she knows Zeke has seen her reasoning straight away.

"Finding the group who killed my family is the only thing that gave me a reason to get up in the morning for so long. I know things have been better lately but that doesn't mean they have the right to be free to go on like nothing happened."

"I know that M, I really do get where you're coming from." Zeke sighs, and rubs his hand down his face, trying to find the right words "it's just that I'm worried. You have had all this time letting that anger build up that I'm afraid at the first sign of them, you'll get yourself killed."

Four and Tris sit watching the exchange silently but Maggie can see the wheels turning in Four's eyes. "Maybe that's the best reason for her to join the squads."

Zeke narrows his eyes at Four, as if daring him to continue. "All I'm saying is that you've got a willing recruit here. She has pretty strong reasons to stay focused while out there. I trust in the training we put her through to have taught her to keep her emotions in check. Who knows, maybe after all this time, a fresh pair of eyes might even figure out how to flush the Factionless out."

"Finding them is exactly what I'm afraid of" Zeke mumbles, more to himself that the rest of them.

"Maggie was one of the most capable fighters in her class and she made a lot of progress in her sims. She might surprise you." Maggie can't help but smile at Four, grateful for his speaking up for her. He gives her a small smile back in reassurance. After a brief pause, Zeke lets out a heavy sigh

"Fine. You're in Ivor. But if you get yourself killed, I'll never forgive you for it." Not wanting to push her luck, Maggie flashes Zeke a smile in thanks and decides to change the subject.

A couple hours and few more of Uri's specials later and most of the group are in full swing out on the dance floor. With the exception of Four and Tris. Maggie can't help but think how much their abnegation upbringing has affected their ability to have fun. She can't help but like the both of them, however. She has never met two more genuine people in her life. Shaking off all thoughts, she lets herself be in the moment, dancing happily with Uriah. He is such a dork and one of the worst dancers she has ever seen but it makes their time all the more fun.

Her eyes are drawn to the back corner of the room briefly. Most of the leaders left long before but Eric remains, dancing with a scantily dressed woman with a wild mane of fiery red hair. She can see his hand slide under her skirt and it's pretty clear they should be getting themselves a room. He lifts his head up and smirks at her while dipping his head and biting down on her breast through her shirt. Rolling her eyes, Maggie turns her back to him and focusses on her friends, enjoying the music and feeling free and happy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Hey all, a new chapter for you. I'm hoping to continue to upload at least once a week. I'm very new to all this so if you have feedback, I would really appreciate it. This chapter is a bit more fun. Please enjoy**

 **Chapter 2**

Eric wandered through the dark hallways back to his apartment. He had left the redhead – whose name he had already forgotten – sleeping in her bed. He guessed he felt sated but really he had been too distracted to enjoy himself. He couldn't believe Maggie Ivor, of all people called him out on his leadership methods. What the fuck would she know about leading a faction? She was way too young to have seen her father in action. Well fuck her and her opinions. She didn't know shit.

Of course Maggie would see him in the same light as everyone else in dauntless did. He was used to being hated and that was something he could live with. What got to him was that she might have been right. Everywhere he turned he saw the contempt in everyone's eyes. There was no respect there. Sometimes they looked with him in hatred but mostly he could see underlying fear. It had never bothered him before because it was a means to an end. He had his soldiers and they followed his orders or there were consequences. It had never occurred to him that there could be another approach. Not that it mattered anymore, it was too late to change now.

Eric mused that this was the first time he even thought about changing how he was with people. He had never minded the solitary life he lead. He got up, trained his ass off, worked hard day in, day out and when the mood struck, there were plenty of women willing to take care of his needs. He needed to shake off his thoughts before they had a chance to fester into something darker. When he returned to his own apartment, he showered quickly and decided to get in a few hours of sleep before breakfast.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie could feel herself in a truly awkward position. Her neck was so uncomfortable and her head was pounding. She tried to peel her eyes open but they were fused shut. Groaning she tried again and peeping through the barely open slits, the first thing she noticed was that the room was upside down. She was half lying, half falling off the edge of a bed, her head just about on the floor with one arm asleep underneath her and the other flung above her head. If it weren't for the tangle of sheets her leg was caught up in, Maggie was sure she would have fallen out by now. Not only that, but she realised that her surroundings were unrecognizable. _What the hell happened last night?_

She was still a little too disoriented to move just yet so instead she decided to assess how much damage the alcohol had done to her pounding head and if it would be wise to try and move yet. Somewhere behind her, she could hear light snorts and the vague ramblings of a sleep talking Ro. _Well that's a good sign._ She thought. At least whatever happened and wherever they were, they were together. Less room for regrets that way. Figuring it was time to test the waters, Maggie tried to dislodge her left arm from under her ass but as she moved, the balance the sheets had created was lost and she rather inelegantly crashed to the floor.

Ro snapped awake at the large thudding noise, exclaiming loudly about three headed chickens before slipping off her side of the bed.

"Shit Ro, what were you dreaming about?" Maggie inquired, looking at her friend from underneath the bed.

"Ugh. Don't ask."

Maggie started to giggle but the motion reminded her of her pain. "Holy fuck, my fucking head!" she groaned, rubbing her palms into her eye sockets.

"Amen sister."

The girls attention was drawn to the door, where Uriah stood chuckling at the scene playing out before him. "Ladies." He laughed out playfully while jumping across the middle of the bed. Maggie and Ro followed suit, crawling gingerly up beside him. "Look at this. I bet I'm the envy of every dude in dauntless right now. Between two beautiful women on my bed."

"No jokes Uri. I'm trying to decide if I'm mad at you. My head is going to explode!" Maggie poked Uriah in the ribs.

"So ungrateful, miss M! I showed you girls a good time, bought you drinks and gave you a comfy bed to sleep in while so graciously sleeping on the couch."

"I distinctly remember you sleeping in between us, actually." Ro pipes up. "You kicked me in the shin. Really hard too. Look at the bruise!"

"Yeah, sorry about that," he looks at Ro mildly sheepishly "I dreamt I was sparring with that cute new nurse Marlene, and then Zeke came along and punched me in the nuts." His explanation earns a laugh from Ro which quickly turns to a grimace of pain.

"Wow you weirdo! That's so random."

"Says the girl who dreamt of three headed chickens!" Maggie turned back to Uri with a new thought "So when you woke up, you didn't think to move me back up onto the bed? No wonder I feel like shit. My head is killing me."

"No, I didn't help you out." He agreed "I took a polaroid instead!" with that, he fishes a picture of the two girls sleeping inelegantly out of his pocket.

Maggie gasps and swipes at the picture "Give me that you pig!" but she laughs. Of course Uri wouldn't pass up a chance to epically embarrass the shit out of his friends. It was her favourite thing about him. "That better not do the rounds at the mess hall or you really will get a punch to the nuts."

"No faith." Uri shakes his head.

"Wait, this is your new place?" Maggie's slow working mind finally putting two and two together. "It's taken me a while to see it."

"Yeah, now that initiation is out of the way you'll be getting your own places. Probably today if you get your asses out of bed." With that, Uri slaps Maggie on the thigh and rolls over her onto the floor. "You kids up for breakfast? They'll stop serving soon."

"Shit, lets go before all the greasiest stuff is gone." Ro makes her stumbling move to follow Uri and Maggie smiles until her pounding head draws attention to itself again.

"As long as there's coffee."

 **. . . . .**

Eric entered the mess hall and sat at his usual spot across from Max.

"Morning." Max greeted him Eric nodded in reply. He began piling up his plate with breakfast as Max talked. "I'll be in the office all day organising the new member's apartments and job placements. I'd like you to get reports from each patrol unit and from the control room. Work out any patterns from their surveillance and direct Zeke on where to send the squads out to next."

"Will do." Eric replies, then pauses in thought "I don't like their lack of activity. I think they're planning something."

"When are they not?"

"This just feels different. I think things are going to ramp up soon." Eric begins tapping a finger against the table while Max waits patiently to hear the younger man's thoughts on the topic. Eventually Eric leans forward and with a lower voice, begins "Zeke came to me with something the other day. He said – ."

Eric didn't get to finish his sentence as a very green looking Ro stumbled to their table, sitting right next to Max. "I think I overestimated how I was feeling this morning." She spoke out while putting her head in her hands. "Oh geez!" this time she lay her head against the table "The room is spinning. Make it stop!" Eric looked up to see a mortified looking Maggie, who met his blue-grey eyes with her widened brown ones before pulling on the sleeve of Ro's jacket. Eric noticed that both girls were wearing last nights outfits, which were now very crumpled and their hair wasn't too much better. He couldn't stop the big smirk from forming on his face to see miss high and mighty looking so unkempt. It was then that he noticed Uriah standing behind both girls flashing Eric a cheeky smile and flipped up a picture. Eric snorted at the sight of Maggie splayed across the edge of a bed, a tangle of arms, legs and sheets.

Maggie turned back to Uriah, catching him in the act and backhanded him on the arm before turning to Ro. It didn't escape Eric's attention that she now refused to look him in the eye. She grabbed Ro by the collar "Ro. Wrong table. Let's go." To that Ro looked up and her eyes widened. She turned to her side and blushed furiously.

"Oh! Max! Hey.." Max just looked up to Eric, clearly as amused as he was before Maggie finally got Ro to stand up. Before they got far, Max called out

"Oh, Maggie, you're up first this morning. We have a lot to discuss. Get some breakfast then meet me at my office."

Maggie just nodded, "Yes sir."

"Oh and, maybe clean yourself up first."

"Yes Sir." It was Maggie's turn to blush at his words before she dragged Ro away and Uriah winked at the men sitting at the table as he followed behind them.

"Looks like you have a new admirer." Eric observed. Max responded with a brief nod. "There's always one. Every year."

"Yeah, at least this one is an improvement on the last. I don't think I'll ever look at chocolate cake the same way again." Max shuddered while Eric burst out laughing in remembrance of the new recruit who smothered her body in cake and propped herself on Max's desk, begging him to lick if off. "This one is cute at least. I don't think she'll cause too much harm." With that, the men went back to their breakfast, their previous conversation forgotten.

 **. . . . .**

After downing three coffees and some dry toast, Maggie headed to her old dorm to shower and change. This would hopefully be one of the last times she would be in this room. It was comfortable enough but she couldn't help the excitement building at the thought of a bit of privacy. Once satisfied that she was presentable again, Maggie headed to the leader's level and knocked on the door to Max's office. She was unsure if she would be in much trouble for last night's outburst. It was really unlike her to speak to anyone like that and she hated the feeling it gave her. That awful heaviness in her stomach and the disgust for being unkind to anyone. Even if it was Eric. Max summoned her in and gestured to the chair in front of his desk.

"Please, sit." Maggie gave him a tight lipped smile and sat down.

"Now, Maggie, let's start with what your plans are. Have you given much thought to what you would like to do?" before she could answer, Max continued while flicking through her training reports "I know you showed a lot of promise in combat training, though it seems you struggled at the beginning of the sims."

"Yes sir, it took some time for me to work through my fears. I'm still practicing them actually."

He waves her off "Yes, well, they aren't the usual form of fears. From Four's reports, you were starting to work them out pretty well." Looking directly into her eyes, Maggie can sense a hesitation on his part. "It's unusual to make an offer out of order of ranking, but I just wanted to put this on the table. I know your father was a strong leader and even when you were a child, he was passing his knowledge on to you and your brother. He was very proud of you, Maggie." Maggie had to blink back the tears that threatened to spill at his words. She swallowed thickly and nodded, unable to look at him.

"It has had me thinking," he continued "that maybe you would consider a leadership position. You have a way with people. Most people." He muses and Maggie is brought back to thoughts of her heated discussion with Eric. "Before me, I see a woman who is brave, quick to act and who has more reason than most to be leading this faction with the same passion and valour as Thorin did. It would make me very happy if you would consider it."

Maggie shifted in her chair. It was humbling to be thought of in such a way. She had already made her decision, however, and was determined to see it through.

"Thank you Max. I appreciate the offer, but I'm just not sure it's the right fit for me." She fidgets in the chair uncomfortably, not wanting to offend the man sitting before her. He sits patiently and she feels able to continue "I know Caden wanted this position and I'm sure it's exactly where he would be if given the chance. And I know to carry on my father's legacy would be an honour but I think there are better ways for me to do that."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I am not sure about the long-term yet. For now, I was hoping to join the patrol squads. Get some experience out there. I have a lot to learn and I think practical experience is the best option for me right now." Max looks deep in thought before he nods his head and goes to a filing cabinet. He opens a draw and pulls out a form which he begins to fill out.

"Alright, I'll get this paperwork over to Zeke and have you report to him first thing Monday morning. You're right about practical experience. It is the best teacher." He finishes filling out the form and has her sign the bottom. "Just so you know, if you ever do change your mind, just come find me. I want to see you thrive here."

"Thank you Sir. I will keep that in mind." She promises.

They go on to discuss living arrangements. There are a few options but some of them are expensive. Seeing as they are newly initiated and haven't accumulated many points yet, Maggie and Ro had decided to share an apartment for now and eventually be able to get better ones in a year or two. Max hands over her keys along with the directions to the flat as well as more paperwork to sign. When they are done, Maggie goes to leave, hopeful that she had dogged a bullet but Max motions for her to stay in her chair.

He pauses briefly, as if trying to think of the best approach. "So Caden would be 21 this year."

"Mmhmm," Maggie confirms "same age as Zeke and Four."

"And Eric." Max points out. Maggie just sits watching him, unsure where he is going with this. After a few awkward moments, Max sighs. "You know, I was the leader on the roof welcoming those men on their choosing day." He begins "I can still remember the first time I laid eyes on Eric. Even when he was a skinny, awkward Erudite boy, he carried himself in this certain way. I watched as he trained, the progress he made and I took notice of his overall demeanour. I just had a feeling about him that one day, he would do great things. Yes he's very arrogant, but he has a right to be. He has done well in his leadership."

Maggie supressed the urge to roll her eyes, but Max noticed anyway. "Don't forget that I hand picked him for his role in the faction. He has spent every day honouring my choice and it troubles me that you are showing a lack of trust on my part." She looks down again, the early signs of guilt brewing up in her are there. "Please look at me Maggie." She does as he asks. "I know you won't believe me right now but do you want to know who I saw in Eric that first day? Who he was so similar to in courage, wit and strength?"

"Who?" although she can already guess.

"Your father." At this, Maggie makes sure to stare straight into his eyes to detect any hint that his answer might be insincere. She can't tell that he is and the thought makes her uncomfortable. "Please, just try to accept that he might be the kind of leader you want so badly. Put your trust in him and he will help you to hold the factionless accountable for all they took from you. Just give him a chance. Can you do that Maggie?"

She sits for a moment before slowly glancing back up at him.

"I can try."


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Hi everyone, I'm sorry this one took a lot longer (and is much shorter) than I hoped. My family and I got really sick through the week and I'm only just able to sit upright again.**

 **I'm really excited to see I'm getting reviews! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to write them, they have been really encouraging and have brought a smile to my face! Thanks for your patience, I hope I won't keep you waiting so much next time xx**

 **Chapter 3**

After leaving Max's office, Maggie waited for Ro in the mess hall. It had been a little over an hour since breakfast and now that the coffee had kicked in, she was feeling a little more human, although there was still a distinct pounding in her head. During breakfast the girls had laid into Uriah until he felt guilty enough to agree to pack their belongings in the dorms for them. He also had the fun job of carrying everything to their new apartment when they got their keys. He found Maggie resting her cheek against the cool table and couldn't resist throwing the large garbage bag of clothes and boots at her head. She startled and using the bag, started swinging at him. He laughed and a mini tousle ensued. They alternated sparring, messing around and resting until Ro met up with them. She had a cocky smile on her face and started twirling a single key on a ring around her finger.

"You ready, roomie?" Maggie returned her smile and got up, banging Uriah's head on the table as she moved. He just laughed and picked up the bags of the girls things and followed after them. They headed down one of the hallways towards the housing section and entered the lift to the third floor. It wasn't exactly squalor but definitely one of the cheap levels. When the trio exited the lift, they walked along the corridor checking numbers all the while until they found room 307. Their new home awaited them on the other side of that door and if it was anything to judge by, the whole place might need a little love. The green paint was chipped and peeling to reveal a faded red-pink colour underneath. One of the screws holding the seven in place was missing so it was hanging almost upside down and a large intimidating set of four scratches marred a large portion of the length of the door. They reminded Maggie of claw marks and an uncomfortable chill went down her back at the thoughts swirling through her mind. She looked towards Ro and steeled herself before placing the brass key in the lock, turning it and swinging open the door.

The first thing she noticed was the musty smell of a room left unopened for too long. Looking around Maggie was relieved to see it looked like it had some potential. The living space was open plan, with a couch set toward the back windows with a coffee table in front of it. The windows themselves were floor to ceiling which would have offered a breathtaking view if the apartment were at a higher level. The rest of the walls were an exposed antique red brick which Maggie actually loved. The light fixtures were archaic looking but as Uriah flicked the switch, it was a relief to learn that they were in working order. Being in the cheap section, there was no kitchenette but they were both prepared for that. It would help them to save up more points if they just ate in the mess hall with everyone else.

Other than that, the room was bare and Maggie began a mental list of things that would make the space more like a home. A rug on the unpolished hardwood flooring would make it more comfortable, along with more seating, a bookshelf and maybe some indoor plants. Ro would want to do some paintings to brighten the space up. At either side of the living space were two doors. Maggie went to the one to the left and walked into a bedroom with double bed situated along the wall of windows which thankfully had large dark curtains to block out the sunlight. There were also bedside tables and a large dresser. The room wasn't decorated but Maggie was beginning to look forward to making this space her own. Beyond the dresser was another door, this one hiding a small ensuite. It, like the rest of the apartment was basic but practical with a shower in the right hand corner, a vanity in the middle and a toilet on the left. There were light grey tiles on the floor which went nicely with the bare timber of the rest of their new place. The walls all a basic grey/white.

She headed over to the other bedroom on the opposite side of the apartment and noticed that it was the mirror image of the first one so the girls didn't have much trouble working out who got which space. Maggie chose the room she first explored on the left and Ro was happy with the one on the right.

As punishment for encouraging the girls to overdrink the night before, they enlisted Uriah to unpack their few belongings, open the windows and dust the furniture while they went to the shops to get some bedding, towels and other essentials as well as look for a rug for the living room.

When the girls returned a few hours later, their arms were full of new items for their home. Along with the essentials, Maggie had also found some beautiful small house plants which they would place around the room. Ro had procured a gorgeous soft rug of browns and blues which was large enough to sit under the couch and reach to almost the front door. She had also purchased some art supplies to paint up a few canvases to further decorate their space. There was an excited energy between them as they walked up to wake Uriah who was snoring loudly on the couch. Ro slapped him on the ass making him jump.

"Check out all our new shit!" She told him. He looked at the bag loads of items.

"Am I supposed to unpack all that too?" he whined. Maggie shook her head.

"No Uri, you're free to go." She giggled. "Thanks for everything. We'll catch up tomorrow sometime." He nodded and stood up, giving the girls high fives as he walked to the door.

"Cool. I've got poker night anyway. Always a pleasure ladies." He bowed his way out the door and closed it behind him.

The girls set to work making beds and stocking their bathrooms with soaps, shampoos and other essentials. When they were done, they decided to get a list of things that they would eventually like to house in their apartment. Ro pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and they brainstormed.

"I'd like a table over in that corner with the power outlet," Ro began. "That way we can have supplies to make coffee and whatever."

"Great idea. A little cabinet for mugs and glasses would fit beside it too." Maggie agreed. "Do you think we would fit a mini fridge?" Ro looked around in thought.

"Maybe we could get one in under the table or something." She paused then and gave her signature cheeky smile "I think we should put a bracelet or something on the door handle. That way if one of us is getting busy, we can warn the other not to come in."

Maggie scrunched up her nose. "How about we just keep that in our own rooms? You can put the bracelet on your bedroom door instead."

"Oh, you're no fun!" she winked at Maggie. "So.." she began a new train of thought "You think you'll be spending ang time with Uri behind closed doors?"

Maggie chose to deflect that question with one of her own "How about you? Any chance I'll be having any awkward encounters with Max in the mornings?"

"Laugh all you want but it's going to happen. I can feel it."

The girls continued to chatter and made plans for their place, both excited for their new lives. Ro had gotten word from Christina that she was in at the tattoo parlour on a trial basis. The girls were both to begin work the day after the next, leaving them with a little time to relax and get comfortable with their new surroundings.

 **. . . . .**

Eric had spent his day planning out new sections for the patrol squads to scout. Their job was to watch out for the citizens of Chicago, keeping the peace between the factions but most importantly, they were to survey the factionless sectors. In Eric's opinion, they were handling the most important work – an army within an army – and he wanted to ensure they were run smoothly. He had conferred with Zeke first, reading up on his reports and putting off having to talk to Four. Eric could have been friends with the abnegation transfer if things had gone a little differently in initiation. They had begun their training looking out for each other and Eric could see that there were horrors in Four's past but Eric had always possessed a competitive streak and couldn't get passed it when Four took him out in their fight and it really pissed him off to see his own name in the number two spot beneath him. Eric wasn't known as a forgiving man for a reason and his grudge against Four was a prime example of that. When they had their conversation it had been brief and to the point. Four ever the direct professional, Eric would at least give him that.

When Eric was done scheduling and planning, he went to Max's office to confer with the senior leader. The last of the new members had been gone for over an hour now so Eric was confident Max would be free for a moment. He knocked on his door firmly and entered. Max looked up towards his protégé with a weary look on his face. Eric was all too aware of how Max always found the long days being cooped up in the office to be the most tedious. Max gave him a half smile and gestured to the seat in front of him.

"What can I do for you, Son?"

Eric tossed the file in his hand onto Max's desk. "I went over the scheduling for the patrol squads. Here are the reports from Zeke and Four." He paused to allow Max to read over his notes. He saw Max's brow furrow in concentration before he flipped the paper over to see the schedule for the next month. "We've been dwindling in numbers and there hasn't been a lot of surveillance going on in the outskirts of Candor. No patrols have gone out between their and the wall lately. Amity have also been less protected for some time now."

Max nods his head, looking troubled. "We may need to split the numbers down a little, create extra squads that way.." although saying this more to himself. Eric could see he was more distracted than usual.

"Is something bothering you Max." Max sighed heavily, slumping in his chair and began rubbing his temples. Eric waited for him to reply in his own time.

"I'm afraid that with all that has happened in recent years with the factionless, our numbers are getting lower each year. Even though all new initiates are accepted now, we just aren't getting enough new recruits. Most of these kids want to bury their heads in the sand. They think a life on the farm or in a science lab or courtroom will be safer for them. We're just getting spread too thin and things are slipping through the cracks."

Eric pondered on Max's words briefly. "What do we do?"

"Well, thankfully, there has been a good interest from the new recruits to join the patrols so that's a small step in the right direction."

"Mmhmm," Eric agreed "What else?" happy to be there to bring out the thought process that Max was struggling with.

"Well, I had hoped to be informing you of a new recruit for leadership but unfortunately, it isn't the path she wants to take..."

"Maggie turned down leadership?" Eric cut Max off, shocked by the revelation. Max's head snapped up, eying the young man suspiciously.

"How do you know I offered it to Maggie?"

Eric stumbled for a moment, before regaining some composure. "I guess I just assumed. You know – with her lineage – what did she chose to do instead?" after fumbling his way through his sentence, he felt it best to move the topic along some. In his discomfort, he missed the faint knowing smirk that briefly graced Max's face that vanished almost as soon as it appeared.

"She's one of Zeke's new recruits." This answer baffled Eric. Why would Maggie turn down the chance to be like her father? Who wouldn't want to continue the works of such a great man?

"That's just. It's crazy." He wasn't sure if he was still thinking to himself of voicing his confusion.

"Well, she has her reasons. She'll learn a lot from Zeke. Maybe after a few years out there, she'll feel ready to take on the role." At that, Max stood and started to gather his jacked, phone and keys. "That does leave an opening though."

"Who do you have in mind?"

At this, Max got an idea. "I think it's your turn to think of someone for the job. No need to rush the decision but keep an eye out. It'll just feel right, you know?" Eric stood up and followed him out. His nod the only reply Max needed as the two men left the office for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hey lovlies! I have another chapter for you. I was able to write a decent length one this time around which I'm a little happier with than the last one. Thanks again to everyone who has followed and favourited and also to those who have taken the time to review. It has been a great encouragement to me! I hope you guys enjoy this chappy. It's still a bit more of a set up to the overall story I have planned for our Maggie :)**

 **Chapter 4**

 _There was blood. So much of it. It covered the carpet below and there were spatters going up the walls. Her hands and knees drenched in the thick red mess as she tried to hold onto her Daddy. As she lifted his head, she was greeted with dull lifeless eyes, staring off, unseeing. Never to see again. She sat back on her heels and saw two more sets of dead eyes._

Maggie snapped awake and bolted upright, tangled in sheets from the waist down. Breathing heavily, she wiped a hand across her sweat sheened face, enjoying the feeling of her cool hand upon her forehead. As she tried to calm her racing heart, she found herself in the familiar comforting position of resting her head upon her knees, concentrating on taking deep breaths to slow her hammering heart. The nightmares that plagued the girl's sleep were always the same. The horrifying memory brought to life in her mind's eye, forcing Maggie to relive the worst night of her life over and over, an endless repetitive cycle. They didn't visit her every night. No. They would come at times when she felt her life was beginning to find a sliver of hope. As soon as that silver lining appeared, she would be cruelly reminded that she could never truly be happy.

When her heart felt once more confined to it's rightful space within her chest and the shock had given way to anger, Maggie threw herself onto her stomach, muffling a frustrated scream into her pillow as she punched the mattress below her as hard as she could manage. Only once, but it was enough to be therapeutic. Feeling the adrenaline drain from her system, Maggie rolled onto her back and opened up her curtain to watch the early hints of a new day beginning. Beyond the shapes of distant buildings was the wall, standing proudly. The horizon glowing it's first shades of amber as the sun slowly ascended in the sky.

She wasn't sure how long she just lay there, soaking in the sunrise and drawing a calmness from it's pure promising beauty. Beyond her bedroom door, she could hear that Ro had emerged from her own room and was stumbling around inelegantly and swearing on occasion. Maggie felt a small half smile appear on her lips, suddenly very grateful to have people in her life to counteract her own darkness. Taking one last look out her window, she rolled out of her bed to get ready for another day.

Ro's head popped out from behind a large canvas at the sound of Maggie's door opening. She smiled brightly at her friend in greeting. Maggie made her way around to Ro's side of the canvas to see the progress the artist had made since beginning her work. It was an abstract piece which Maggie couldn't make out but it gave an overall calming feeling. Maybe that had to do with the colour scheme of the piece or just the shapes that danced across the surface but Maggie felt it was coming along nicely. One look at Ro's face was enough warning for Maggie to not comment on it, however. Ro ever critical of her own work would never stand for an undeserved compliment.

Maggie sat down opposite her roommate but got up almost as quickly, a restlessness coming over her.

"I think I'll go have a quick workout before breakfast is on." She informed Ro before changing and exiting their dwelling. She started to jog down the corridors and dark hallways of dauntless, not sure yet if she wanted to head toward the gym or just keep going on running outside in the fresh air. Her feet kept going and going, winding her through tunnel after tunnel, across the bridge of the chasm, and back over toward one of the exits. As she burst through the door, the cool fresh air caressed her face like an old friend and she savoured the feeling for a moment before taking of at a cracking pace. On and on she went around the compound, passing it completely until she found herself almost upon abnegation's section. She looped her way back, heading up over hills and old, crumbled building ruins. She ran until her legs felt weak and her heart was about to burst. It was only when she felt that her body could endure no more that she eventually made her way back home.

When she arrived back at the apartment, Maggie discovered that it was empty. Ro had cleaned up her supplies and appeared to have already gone to breakfast. Maggie looked at the time and realised that she was too late to get anything so she went to her small bathroom to have a shower instead. Stripping of her sweat drenched clothing, she turned the water on, waiting for the right temperature before stepping under the hot stream. She savoured the feeling and began to massage her tight shoulders, trying to rid her body of the tension it was holding onto. It was a physical response to her nightmare. She always felt like her whole body was wound tight like a coil, ready to snap after she had one. She wondered if she would ever truly be free of it. If she would ever be able to go on like there was something to live for besides the need for retribution. Sometimes, the thought of succeeding in avenging her family terrified her because without that burning need within her, what reason would she have to go on? Would she be able to move on or would the last piece of herself shatter and fade away into nothing?

After her hair was clean and the water began to turn cold, Maggie shut of the shower and stepped out to dry off. She needed to get out of her own head for a while so she got dressed and set off to find her friends.

 **. . . . .**

It didn't take much thought for Maggie to work out where everyone would be. It was Sunday. She knew Zeke had weekends off, leaving the patrols to another crew. Uriah and Will worked with him so she knew they would all be enjoying their last day off as well. Christina was able to work her days around when Will was working so wherever he was, she wouldn't be far away. Maggie wasn't sure about Tris and Four's schedules in the control room however. She just figured it would be a pleasant surprise if she did get to see them.

The Pedrad brothers were well known and loved around the faction, always preferring to be the life of any party. With that knowledge Maggie headed toward the pit to see if they were there. The closer she got to the common area, the louder the hallways became as the collective sounds drifted. She could hear the laughter and the music well before reaching her destination. As she rounded the final corner, she spotted a large group gathered, dancing and creating their own music. She wondered how the songs created by the soldiers of dauntless might differ from the melodies she imagined the wild and free amity people creating in their fields of wildflowers. She chuckled at that thought, deciding she must ask Ro.

There were couples seated on ledges, overlooking the gatherings, cuddling and sharing sweet caresses, whispering and kissing. Happily oblivious to the crowded area, just being with their loves.

In one area, further along, was a crowd gathered to watch two members locked in a fight. Their onlookers cheering them on. It was always easy enough to tell the severity of a fight by watching the opponents. These two held no tension in their faces and every now and then one of them would give out a hearty laugh. This fight purely for fun.

Maggie followed the sounds of spirited laughter knowing that was where she would find the ones she was seeking out. She weaved her way through the mass of people until the familiar sound of Uriah's laughter could be heard. Maggie couldn't help the smile that formed seeing such joy on her friend's face. He seemed to be midway through telling a ridiculous story, having the keen attention of a willing audience.

"Maggie!" he waved her over to him. As she approached, she caught a brief glimpse of Zeke before he was wrapping her in an enthusiastic embrace.

"I spoke with Max," he whispered so only she could hear him "You're in. But you're staying with my squad. No arguments. I don't want anything to happen to your crazy ass." She simply nodded to him. She was in no mood to argue with him. Besides, she knew Zeke was highly ranked for a reason. He would be a wonderful teacher.

Zeke took a good look at her and frowned. "What is it? Have you had another nightmare?" it didn't surprise Maggie that Zeke would notice her troubled demeanour so quickly. She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't make a spectacle of her in front of a crowd either. She simply nodded her answer and allowed him to guide her over to where their friends were seated.

Will was at the corner of a large solid table with Christina seated on his lap. They were swapping between their very public displays of affection and conversing with Tris who sat opposite them. Four was right beside her but true to form, the shy couple were only just seated close enough together that their arms would subtly brush against one another when they moved. Maggie couldn't help but warm to the sweet genuineness of the pair. Each sneaking glances toward the other and sharing shy smiles. Zeke and Maggie slipped into seats next to Will and Christina so they could easily carry a conversation with the group but Maggie couldn't help but look around, noticing her tiny friend was missing.

"Ro?" she enquired simply. Four smiled and nodded his head toward the crowd who were dancing enthusiastically. Maggie spotted Ro amongst them, looking free and joyous as she moved to the music. She smiled at the sight of her and turned back to the table, trying to catch on to the conversation going on in front of her.

The were talking about their poker game the night before. It was something the boys liked to do together at least once a month. Technically gambling was heavily frowned upon at dauntless so they never played for points or possessions. To get around that, it had become tradition for the one who was bested the most for the evening to perform a dare set by the nights winner. This was the first time Maggie had heard about their little tradition and was held in wrapt attention as the boys told her all about some of the more outrageous dares they had been made to perform. Usually the most outlandish quests were set up by Uriah which came as no surprise to her.

"He once made me sing a power ballad to Max during breakfast one morning." Will told her "I had to go up to him in front of everyone, and kneel down mid serenade while presenting him with a single red rose." The group laughed, remembering his mortification.

"What about the time I had to play a round of capture the flag in my birthday suit?" Zeke interjected.

Maggie let out a deep belly laugh at the images she was conjuring up at his statement "How did that go?" she asked.

"Actually, it worked out well! I think it caught Eric off guard judging by his reaction."

"I think you jumping out in front of him and flailing about was a good surprise tactic. We won that round." Four added.

"My favourite was Four's nude run across the chasm!" Christina remembered

"Really?" Maggie asked in confusion "that sounds a little tame."

"I think he just really wanted to see if Four would do it." Zeke explained. "Public nudity isn't exactly in his comfort zone."

"Uriah's dares have a common theme." Four told her "I actually think he just wants to see everybody naked."

"The best part was the next time they played, Four won and got to give Uri some payback." Christina explained. "He got Uri to take his dinner back to the chef, and tell him it tasted like shit."

"Roland, the chef, has a real mean streak and does not like to be insulted." Tris told her "he walked out in front of Uri and demanded he tell him that again. So Uri did and Roland got so pissed he punched Uri in the face and wouldn't serve him any food for a week."

"So who won last night?" Maggie asked them "What's the dare?" Four gave her a genuine smile at the question.

"You'll find out at lunch."

The friends continued talking for a while, laughing easily, enjoying their time off. Maggie found herself grateful to be so easily distracted by them all. She could feel the beginning hints of happiness which only grew when Ro danced over to them a while later to join in with the group. She gave Maggie a one armed squeeze as she sat down and fell into comfortable conversation with everyone.

 **. . . . .**

Before she knew it, it was time for lunch and Maggie headed to the mess hall with the gang. She walked with her arms linked with Zeke while having an easy conversation with him and Four. The more time she spent with the reserved instructor, the more common ground she found they had in mannerisms, goals and opinions. She was beginning to really adore Tris as well, choosing to sit between her and Ro, Christina and Will on the other side of the tiny blonde. Directly across from Maggie sat Uriah, Zeke and Four next to him. For some reason, the boys had guided them to a different table than where they would usually sit but the girls just shrugged it off and went along with it.

Maggie piled her plate up with chicken and salad as well as a hamburger, realizing how hungry she was after missing breakfast. She was filling her mug with the canister of water in front of her when she noticed Uriah bouncing around a bit on his seat. She tried to get his attention to see what was up but he just winked at her and continued chatting with everyone. After a few minutes had passed, Max and Eric walked over to take a seat at their usual table which was right in front of where Maggie and her friends were. Eric was facing away from them with his back directly behind Uriah's. Zeke turned to whisper something in his brother's ear and the younger Pedrad nodded, took a deep breath and started to yell out to nobody in particular.

"You're in my domain now. I wanna see you bleed." The girls looked at him in confusion "Are you even trying? Who taught you how to shoot soldier? A blind Stiff?" this particular comment had Zeke doubled over in laughter and even Four was chuckling under his breath as Uri continued. The random orders and comments he was barking out sounded oddly familiar to Maggie. "Dauntless never give up."

Behind Uriah, Maggie noticed Eric's back stiffen and he squared his shoulders, placing his knife and fork down beside his plate. That was when it dawned on her that these were all things Eric has said at one point or another to members of the faction.

"A brave man never surrenders." She kicked Uriah hard in the shin in an attempt to get him to knock it off. He ignored her and continued. "We train soldiers, not rebels."

She could see Four's head was still bent down with a huge grin on his face at Uri's accurate impersonation. Zeke and Will were giggling like a couple of schoolgirls and that was when the puzzle fit together for Maggie. Looks like Uri's good run in poker had ended and now he was being punished for the dares he'd given the others.

"Give me laps around the training room until you die." Eric stood up and moved so he was directly behind Uriah practically daring him to continue. Perhaps foolishly, Uriah did "Boy are you stupid? I could make you factionless in five seconds flat!"

"You got something you want to say to my face Pedrad?" At that, Uriah snapped his mouth shut. His brother seemed to find this even funnier as he continued laughing – although silently now – at the scene unfolding.

"By all means, please continue" he was using that same tone again. The one he always used when he wanted to snap someone like a twig. Uriah just sat there, not moving.

"not so cocky now are we?" Eric stood up straight and began to pace slowly behind Uriah's chair. With the tension building at their table, it was a surprise to Maggie that the rest of the mess hall were carrying on like nothing was happening.

"I won't tolerate this kind of insubordination. How to punish you. Let me think...I could very easily make you bleed. Or what was that one? That's right. I could force you to run until you die – I like that." his pacing was brought to a halt as he crouched down beside Uri. "Or, maybe you really want to be made factionless. Is that it?" he snapped his head towards Maggie when she spoke up.

"Oh come on! It was just a joke. Do you have no sense of humour at all?"

"Watch who you're talking to little girl" he snarled "Actually, Uriah, it's your lucky day. Miss Ivor here wants to take your punishment in your place. Isn't that right princess?"

"Eric, come on. It was just a dare. He didn't mean anything by it." Four piped up. He looked agitated at the young leader.

"No, no, Four. Let me have my fun. It's only fair. I can think of all sorts of ways to punish her." He stated, his eyes looking her up and down slowly, like she was his prey. Maggie's blood was set to boil at his tone and the joy he was getting out of their discomfort.

"You're being unreasonable. Again." Four continued as Eric glared between Uriah and Maggie.

"Eric, come on. You've had your fun. There will be no punishing necessary. Let them finish their lunch in peace." Max spoke up, not having moved from his seat at the other table. Eric's dark stare upon Maggie seemingly broken at his superior's words. He turned, then and stalked off, his lunch forgotten.

"Boys, maybe in future, factor Eric out of you post poker shenanigans? As much as William's public declaration of love touched my heart, I think we all know Eric doesn't appreciate that kind of humour."

His request was followed up with a round of "yes sirs" from the boys at the table which satisfied him enough to go back to his lunch.

"Phew!" Uriah let out an exaggerated sigh, wiping the back of his had across his forehead "I love living on the edge!" Zeke and Will laughed and Four shook his head.

"I told you it was a bad idea to follow through with it." he told him.

"I'll say!" Maggie raised her voice toward the men. "Whose absurd idea was that?" Will raised his hand, no inkling to show remorse. Before Maggie could rip him a new one, Uriah nudged her leg from under the table.

"Hey, M, chill. This actually went well. I didn't even get punched this time!" at that, all the boys roared with laughter and started going on about his ill conceived dare to insult the chef.

 **. . . . .**

Once everyone had finished eating their lunch, they all decided to head back to Maggie and Ro's new apartment. As they were walking, Uriah moved over to talk with Maggie.

"You're the best, you know that?" he said while nudging her arm

"Why? What did I do?" she was a little confused as to where this was coming from.

"You stood up for me. I know Eric is intimidating and he was like, super pissed. You didn't even hesitate to speak up for me. It was very cool of you. Very dauntless."

"Nah," she started "you would've done the same for me."

"Well, I was thinking, I want to fix up the front door of your apartment. You know, as a thank you." Maggie shook her head

"That is really unnecessary Uri. I wasn't even thinking really. The words just came out."

"Well, I'm doing it anyway because you're my friend and I love you." He paused for a moment "and it's really creepy! It gives me the chills when I see those big ass claw marks going down it!"

Maggie laughed and gave him a side hug as they continued walking. "Well, I won't argue with that! It really is a freaking creepy door!"

For the rest of the afternoon, Ro and Maggie entertained their friends in their new dwelling. It seemed everyone had thought to bring them housewarming gifts. Christina and Will gave them a coffee plunger, Tris and Four complimenting that gift with a set of coffee mugs, drinking glasses and a dinner plate set. Zeke and Uriah had splurged with a big bottle of bourbon which the girls happily shared around.

Uriah removed the door from it's hinges and took it away somewhere. About half an hour later he returned with it sanded off, peeling paint and claw marks no more. He set it down on some old sheets in the middle of the room so he could paint away without missing the social afternoon. When he asked Maggie and Ro what colour they wanted it to be, Ro jumped up and picked out a simple egg blue, knowing it would match in with everything she had been working on inside. On he worked and when the paint was dry enough, he screwed the numbers back on, this time all them sat the right way up. It looked fantastic.

At some point, Four and Zeke left only to return with bags full of dinner to share with everyone and Maggie was astounded that in such a short time, she had managed to be so easily welcomed into the lives of such an amazing group of people. Sure, she had been a part of Zeke and Uriah's lives for years but had only known everyone else for such a short while. Zeke sat down next to her on the floor to put their food on the coffee table in front of them. When he was sure everyone else was engrossed in their own conversations, he spoke lowly to Maggie.

"You doing ok after this morning? I know your nightmares can really bother you." She sighed and gave him a half smile

"I think they will always just show up to mess with me. But yeah, I'm alright. I was actually thinking things are going pretty good at the moment."

"Oh yeah?" he quirked an eyebrow

"Look at this room. Full of great people all happy and full of life. I have to be thankful for that."

He put his arm around her and kissed her on the top of her head. They continued eating and listening to everyone's stories.

A short while later, everyone started filing out. Zeke informed Maggie that the patrol squads start the day early and she was to meet him at the mess hall no later than 4:30am for breakfast and that was when he would give out directives. She and Ro said goodnight to everyone and sat back on the couch to unwind for a while.

"What time are you going into the parlour tomorrow?"

"I start at 8. I hear you've got an early start. We might not see a lot of each other during the week."

"Yeah," Maggie agreed "I guess weekends will be for catching up with each other."

"Man! What a day!" Ro exclaimed throwing her head back on the couch and Maggie couldn't help but agree. Ro looked over at her friend then, speculating over something. "So Eric sure has an eye out for you."

"Mmm, he's a real piece of work."

"I think he wants in your pants." At that statement, Maggie gave Ro a dubious look and shook her head.

"He just likes to mess with people. Like I said, he's a real piece of work."

"Well, whatever the deal is, there was some serious tension between you two today. I'm not the only one who thinks so."

"Oh yeah?" Maggie decided to humour her, starting to feel sleepy as a result of her emotional day added to the fact that she had a decent share of the bourbon that was being passed around.

"Yeah Christina seems to think he's been watching you for a while."

"Well, he can watch all he wants, makes no difference to me."

"He's kind of sexy." Ro stated. Maggie scoffed at her little friend

"He's an asshole."

Ro shrugged "You don't think it's hot when he uses that dangerous voice while intimidating people?"

"I think it's a massive misuse of his power. He does it because nobody can get away with standing up to him and he likes to make threats. There is no honour in it and acts like that aren't attractive to me. You'd best stick to your crush on Max, woman. At least he's not hell bent on being an arrogant son of a bitch."

Ro smiled in agreement "Now that man is just straight up yummy."

"He's still old."

"Then he'll sure as hell know how to treat a woman!" Ro winked. "You know, maybe Eric just needs a good woman to tame him. You could break him in! I'm sure he'd appreciate a lesson or two."

Maggie laughed, standing up. "How 'bout no!" she exclaimed "I need to get some sleep if I want to have any chance of dragging my ass out of bed so early in the morning. Good night."

"Night."

Maggie headed to her room and jumped in the shower. When she was clean, she laid out some clothes to make getting ready a little easier in the morning before setting her alarm. When she turned off the light and crawled under the covers, she couldn't help but think about what Ro had said. Eric had been watching her? When? For what purpose? She shook her head, refusing to dwell on it. She had just last night been plagued with nightmares of losing her family all over again, she didn't need to have dreams of blue eyes and a crooked smirk the night before her first day patrolling. She wanted to be well rested.

Forcing her mind to focus on anything other that her arrogant leader, Maggie felt the pull of sleep drifting over her body and she gladly let it take her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey hey hey! New chapter for you all! Thanks for the support, everyone! I hope you enjoy my new offering!**

 **Chapter 5**

The alarm went off in the early morning and Maggie groaned, regretting joining the patrols. She had to remind herself that she wouldn't always be on the early shift and that perhaps if she was, that she would soon get used to it. She rolled out of bed and stumbled to the shower, stripping off her sleep shirt and underwear as the stream of water warmed to an acceptable temperature. Standing under the stream, Maggie started to feel a little more awake, only allowing herself a quick shower so she wasn't late. As she dried and dressed herself, the first hint of nerves bubbled up in her stomach. She practically jumped into her underwear and trousers, fastening them and moving on to her sports bra and black singlet. The last item was her stiff black jacket with the upturned collar. She started moving for the makeshift kitchenette to brew herself a coffee, throwing it back as fast as she could manage before grabbing her keys and heading out the door.

As Maggie made her way through to the mess hall, she could see Uriah and Will sitting at their usual table and she made her way over.

"I made it before Zeke?" she asked them, surprised to not see him there yet. Will gestured with his chin to a spot behind Maggie's head.

"Just getting new orders." Maggie went to turn, curious about the hostile tone in Will's voice. Before she got a chance, Zeke was taking a seat to the right of her, grabbing food from the tray in front of him. Maggie could feel a tingle go down her spine, feeling a sharp gaze on her back. Eric lowered himself into the space on Maggie's left, sitting all too close to her side. She could feel the heat of his skin and he brushed his arm with hers as he started to serve himself breakfast.

Maggie was beginning to feel too uncomfortable to eat but didn't want him to know his presence was affecting her so she forced the forkful of eggs into her mouth, chewing slowly.

"Morning everyone." his tone dripped with fake politeness. It was something about him that Maggie had observed over the past few months. Like he was only putting on a front of calmness but underneath, he was a snake getting ready to strike. It gave her chills and made her distrust for him grow. The two sitting across from them gave their greetings. Uriah was looking as if yesterday had never happened. Maggie wondered how he could be so relaxed after nearly getting who knows what kind of punishment the day before but there he sat, comfortable enough with the situation.

Eric wasn't oblivious to Maggie's discomfort. He leaned in whispering in her ear "Are you alright there, your highness? You look a little – tense." His fingertips brushed along her neck as he spoke lowly. Maggie tried not to flinch away from his touch although she was sure he was aware of her heartbeat hammering in her ribs as she willed herself to not react. He chuckled at her discomfort

"Not so chatty today? Well, that's ok." He continued to eat his food in silence, knowing his presence had the effect he was looking for. It bothered him when Maggie would so easily talk back to him. He needed to put her in her place before anyone else decided it was acceptable to challenge him. He could see from the corner of his eye that she had stopped eating all together so he leaned over, putting weight on her arm and shoulder. She looked at him and he could see distaste in her eyes which just made a smirk pull at his lips. Without breaking eye contact with her, he reached to her plate, taking the remainder of her eggs and the untouched toast, bringing it to his lips and taking a bite. Maggie set her jaw and glared at him. He simply chewed while staring at her, not about to release the hold he had on her gaze.

"I'm sorry, were you going to eat that?" he continued with his falsely polite tone, while reaching for the beaker of water in front of her and claiming that as well. His leg was resting against hers and he was impressed that she had stood her ground for this long. Usually he made people uncomfortable enough that they were running for the hills by now. Maggie, however, sat there and took it with her jaw forcefully clenched. He could hear her teeth grating as he continued. Her dark brown eyes now trained ahead.

"By all means, help yourself." Her tone dripped of contempt and it sounded like honey coming from her. He was satisfied to know he was getting under her skin.

"You're very kind." He jeered and saw her knuckles turn white as she clenched her hands into fists. "Watch out there Majesty." He continued on with his taunting, still with that faux pleasantry he was so renowned for. If he got any closer to her she would be forced to sit on his lap. "You don't want to do anything reckless."

Thoroughly fed up with Eric's derision towards his friend, Uriah stood, beckoning Will and Maggie to join him near the trucks for their briefing. Maggie stood and moved to follow him, willing herself not to brush at her left arm that had been burnt by the touch of Eric's skin. She wouldn't allow him that satisfaction.

Zeke turned to Eric and blew out a deep breath. "Oh dude." Was all he could muster and he too was gone, leaving Eric alone with his thoughts.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie followed Uri and Will to the trucks to await their orders for the day. She could see the rest of the crews filing in as well and stood waiting to hear what Zeke would have them do. He strode in confidently, a file in his hands and called for everyone's attention.

"Alright, gather around." He began "as you know, we've been spread thin on the ground out there. We're lacking numbers although thankfully we have a few new recruits starting today." He gestured toward Maggie as well as a couple of people she went through initiation with, Maeve, another dauntless born and Cory a transfer from Candor. "Eric has given new orders that we're going to be splitting our crews up a bit to cover more areas. There will be four to a crew from now on instead of six so we have more crews heading out there. I've got your new listings here." He waved the papers up above his head for everyone to see. There was a collective rumble of discord amongst the unit of men and women at this news.

"I know you're all happy in the crews you've been working in and I tried to consider who everyone works best with when going over the list. I've got no say in this but it will help to patrol more areas. We'll have to work harder to watch each other's backs out there."

"Is this change permanent?" One voice piped up

"What the fuck would Eric know? He's never worked a day out with us!" more and more people began to voice their contention to this new directive.

"Alright, calm down." Zeke called out, once more commanding their attention "I know it isn't ideal. Leadership are working on recruiting new patrol members. Until then we have to make do. Let's give the new crews a month trial. In that time, if any of you aren't performing to my standards or there are problems in your own crew, I'll take a look at swapping you out." He turned toward a board at the wall at the back of the room, where he pinned the sheets of papers. "Here are the new crews and the sectors you're patrolling . I'm on A crew. We're working the factionless sector today. B crew will be on the wall near amity. C get abnegation – have fun with that one gentlemen." He kept calling out the remaining crews as people went over to see which crew they were now a part of "Everybody, keep your radios nearby in case you need backup where you are. You all know the protocol. Be safe out there."

He marched over to Maggie "You're with me." He informed her.

"What the fuck bro?" Uriah's voice came from behind them. "You split up the dream team! Just when M was set to join it too!"

Maggie could see that he and Will were now on B crew and Amity was a long way from the factionless sector.

"It was out of my hands." Zeke tried to pacify his brother. "Eric voiced concerns that you and Maggie together will cloud your judgement and slow you down."

"Excuse me?" it was Maggie's turn to display outrage. "Where is that coming from?"

"Look," Zeke started, trying to find the fight explanation "You guys always have each other's backs. It's clear to anyone that you are important to each other."

"That's a good thing, right?" Maggie was confused as to how this could be spun negatively

"Sure, it's important to have someone you trust by your side when things go south. It's just that, sometimes, you can both be blind to other people when you're together."

"How so?"

"Just think about the last couple of days. You're willing to cross a leader in each other's defense. While it's admirable, it's still crossing a leader. It also means that if something happens out there, you might be more concerned with each other than completing a mission, or protecting people who can't defend themselves. Do you get what I'm saying?" Zeke knew he was failing at explaining the decision.

"In other words, we pissed off Eric and now he's abusing his power to get back at us. Well he can kiss my –"

"Hey, just give it a month like everyone else." Zeke tried to appease her "Maybe by then he'll have gotten off his high horse and will change his mind." Maggie ground her teeth together and nodded. Not willing to meet his eyes as she was still angry. "You've still got me M. It'll be fun!" he smiled at her, knowing she was about to cave. It wasn't in Maggie to stay mad at anybody for long. Least of all the men who were practically family to her.

"One month." Uriah pointed to her "Leave it to me. I can charm anyone!"

"I wasn't aware you swung that way Uri." Will grinned "I'm not sure Eric does either."

"Oh I don't mean it like that dumb ass. But you wait. I'll become his favourite person and he'll change his mind about this. Just wait."

"Let's head out." Zeke directed them, motioning Maggie to follow him. They began gearing up for the day with guns, throwing knives, a water canister, food packs and a two-way radio. They headed toward the truck closest to the exit where two men were geared up and waiting.

"Maggie, this is Brad and Jason." He gestured to them. The older one, Brad, looked to be about 30, he was short and solid looking as if he could barrel someone over just by dropping his shoulder and ramming them hard enough. Jason looked to be about the same age as Zeke. He was taller than Brad but just as solid. From first impressions, it seemed like the four of them could work well together. The two burly men looked like enforcers of sorts, looking strong but not like they would be able to move as quickly as she and Zeke could with their smaller frames. They both acknowledged her with quick nods before climbing in the truck. Zeke taking the front passenger seat as Brad drove them toward the factionless sector.

 **. . . . .**

It was lunch time and A crew were sitting in the shade of the truck. Maggie was grateful for the chance to get off her feet for a few minutes and fill her starving stomach. She hadn't eaten since her mouthful of eggs at breakfast and that was eight hours ago. They had arrived on the outskirts of the factionless sector and gotten out of the truck, footing it from there. The four of them stayed in formation together as they scoured the buildings of the area, looking for any sign of trouble. Maggie's heart had skipped a beat when she first heard where they were patrolling for the day, but it didn't take her long to work out that the threatening factionless army would not be in the same section as those who sought a peaceful life. It was too obvious a place to start.

The two men who Maggie had become acquainted with as of that morning were professional and clearly took their job seriously. Maggie respected that in them and felt the need to prove her worth to the team. Nobody had much to say during their march for the morning but now that they were seated, taking their small break, Brad was conversing easily with Maggie and Zeke, while Jason sat to the edge, not really taking his eyes off the sector in front of him.

The day went on and Maggie found her rhythm of marching, canvassing buildings and observing the factionless who inhabited area. So far, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred and as they headed back to dauntless in the truck, Jason gave her a congrats on a successful first day. When they arrived home and had replaced their equipment, restocked the truck and gotten everything set up for a quick exit in the morning, they headed to the mess hall for dinner and agreed to meet for drinks after eating.

 **. . . . .**

When Maggie walked into the pub with Zeke, she could see Uriah sitting at the bar next to Eric, nursing a beer as he tried to sweet talk him. The reminder that she had been separated from her friend like a misbehaving school kid rekindled Maggie's frustration from earlier. She ordered her drink and sat in a booth away from the arrogant bastard as she fumed silently. She was joined by Zeke, Brad, Jason and Will who were oblivious to her darkening mood.

She could see Uriah move to get up, taking his leave as Eric just smirked like he was the freaking king. Uri looked like he had struck out with his attempts to sway Eric and he confirmed this when he sat down next to her in the booth.

"Well, I planted the seeds M. It might take a while longer than I thought though. He saw through my bullshit."

"Trying to reason with Eric, I'm surprised you're still breathing. What did you say to him anyway?"

"That we're awesome and make a great team. And that I'd be his best friend because he looks like he could use one." Maggie started laughing. She knew he was just messing around but the thought of Eric having friends was ridiculous to her.

"I'm sure he was very receptive to that."

"Hey! Who wouldn't want me as a friend? I'm amazing baby!"

"Oh come on! What did you really say?" she wasn't in much of a mood to bullshit at that moment.

"Nothing to do with the patrols really. I just ordered my drink next to him and said hello. He's the one who wouldn't stop talking. Antagonizing, if you want to get technical about it." Uriah sounded resigned and immediately she had a bad feeling about it.

"What did he say?"

"It doesn't matter Maggie. Really, lets just drop it."

"No. I want to know. Tell me Uri." He took a big swig of his drink before turning half away from her, avoiding her eyes.

"He asked me how my day went. Said that if I wanted to do well in dauntless, to not let –" he brought his fingers up to do air quotes " – that 'Ivor Princess' drag me down any further than she already has."

Maggie was fuming. "I'm dragging you down?" Uri seemed reluctant to continue but there was more and he could never lie to Maggie.

"He said he wouldn't let me use my time on the patrols to 'fuck the new recruit until she decided to walk away from that job and go to the leadership position waiting for her of a silver platter.'"

Maggie slammed her glass down, furious, earning curious glances from the other men at their table.

"Hey, M!" Uri tried to placate her, putting his had on her shoulder, then up to brush some stray hairs behind her ear. "He's just a prick. His opinions don't matter anyway."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. No. Wait. Yes I do! What did you say back? Did you say anything? Or did you just sit there and let him talk about us both that way?" Uri stayed silent for a long while and it just fueled Maggie's rage.

"I didn't really know what to say to that. I was in shock a bit."

"Just, stop talking. Go get me a drink or something."

"Sure. I'm sorry M." she just sat there, unable to look up. Feeling too hurt and betrayed to say anything else. She knew really that she couldn't stay mad at Uriah for long and it wasn't him saying those ugly things. Screw Eric. What did he know?

Uriah returned with several shots and placed most of them in front of her. She looked up and raised a glass, letting him know that she wasn't upset with him. He smiled and raised one of his own and they downed them together. This was gearing up to be a bigger night than she had initially planned but in that moment, Maggie couldn't bring herself to care.

 **. . . . .**

Eric sat at his spot at the bar, feeling pretty good about how his day had gone. Work was going well, with new leads on the factionless rebels turning up that looked promising. He'd gotten laid in his office during his lunch break and now he'd managed to mess with the two people who had been bothering him the most of late. Yes. Today had been good.

From where he was sitting, it was difficult to observe the other patrons of the pub, so he discretely turned his stool toward the side enough to see the back corner booth where Maggie sat, watching her in his peripheral. She looked pissed. Her olive skin looking flushed, brightened by her current mood. He could see her come alive before him, more feeling in those rich, dark eyes than he was used to seeing from her. Their usual muted, dead inside look pacified for the time being and he knew it was because he had ignited a spark in her. Ruffling her feathers was becoming a sport for him. He dangled bait out in front of her and she went for it every time. He chuckled to himself, remembering how she reacted to him that morning. She was livid and he was loving it.

Over an hour passed and he saw her take a few shots with her little buddy. Not so many to get wasted, he observed, but enough to notice her flash angry glares at him at an increased rate as the night went on. She was barely speaking, just gritting her teeth as her fury grew. He was interested to see what she would do with her rage, almost wanting her to take it out on him. If nothing else, it would be entertaining. Her nostrils began to flare and he couldn't help himself. He openly laughed and gave her an exaggerated wink and watched the woman snap.

Maggie all but jumped up from the booth, just about knocking one of her colleagues out of his chair in the process. She strode over to Eric with a shot glass in hand. Before she reached him, she flung the glass at his head, full force. Ducking with agile reflexes, Eric managed to just miss getting hit in the face, hearing it shatter against the wall behind him instead. The entire pub was shocked into silence at her outburst.

"You're a piece of shit, you know that?" she growled out, looking more ferocious than Eric ever thought possible. "How about you tell everyone here what you really think, huh?" he just sat there, taken aback that she would so publicly have it out with a leader. Not the smartest move she could make. "You wouldn't have a fucking clue what you're talking about. How dare you drag my name through the mud like that." She then turned to gesture at Uriah "Or his!"

"I think you're doing a good enough job of dragging yourself through mud, don't you." He responded calmly.

"You're a sorry excuse for a leader. All I've ever seen you do is lord your power over everyone, threatening them to bend to your will. You're nothing but a fucking coward! The entire faction is crumbling because of it. Because of _you_!" she spat out, her words laced with venom. Before he could sit and gauge the reactions of everyone in the room now staring at them, Eric got up and grabbed Maggie by the collar, dragging her out of the pub. When they were outside, he didn't let go, forcing her to half drag, half follow behind him as he led her towards the initiates dorms. He practically threw her into a shower stall in the communal bathroom and turned the cold water full force on her. She stood, shocked, gasping for breath.

"Cool off!" he ordered as she spluttered and struggled to breathe. After a minute, he turned the shower off and grabbed her by the ear, twisting it and forcing her to move out into the dorm room. She was yelping, the intense pain all she could focus on. Eric slammed her forcefully against the wall, leaning into her body, giving her no room to get away from him. She stood, wide eyed and panting, trying desperately to catch her breath. Eric's hand slipped to her throat, just barely squeezing but the intent in his eyes didn't go unnoticed. His eyes ablaze with fury at her cutting words.

"This ends. Right now!" he snarled at her, baring his teeth in a menacing fashion that had Maggie feeling as if her insides were turning to liquid. She felt like a deer in the headlights, too terrified to move or respond. Hot tears filled her wide eyes, and it was all she could do to will them not to fall. She would not let this monster before her see her cry, refusing to disgrace herself any further.

"I'm done with hearing you talk like you're worth a shit in this place. Like you know better than me. I'd love to see you do better." His face was so close to her own, less than an inch of space between him. He wouldn't let her move from his gaze, wanting to be sure he got his point across. "You could already be a leader in training. It's been offered to you! If you want it, just take it." Maggie's head swam in confusion, he was still too close, hindering her ability to get her thoughts straight.

"That's not what I want."

Eric stepped away from her, releasing his hold on her throat. "I don't get you! You talk about what it means to be a leader and clearly I'm not doing a good enough job for the fucking _princess_ of dauntless,"

Stop _calling_ me that!" Maggie snapped. She knew he was baiting her but she just couldn't help her reactions. When it came to Eric, all dignity and control went out the window.

"Until you give me a reason otherwise, I'll call you whatever the fuck I want! You know, when I found out Thorin Ivor's daughter had chosen dauntless , I was ecstatic. I couldn't wait to see the daughter of this legendary warrior. What a disappointment you're turning out to be. You talk about wanting to make the factionless pay but you won't do anything about it."

"I chose to go out there! I'm learning as much as I can so that when the time comes, I'm ready. I won't hide behind a desk and order someone else to fight my battles. It isn't what I'm about."

"I think you're too afraid to step out of your old man's shadow. You don't want to see anybody disappointed in you so you won't even try."

"Leadership is not what I'm about. It's never been what I wanted, even before losing my family."

"Then what are going to do? What do you want?"

"I don't _know_!" she screamed at him. Frustration taking over once more. Eric ran his hand over his face, baffled by their going in circles once more.

"I don't fucking _get_ you!"

"When you've had everything in your life ripped away from you and your entire world torn apart, maybe you'll understand me better." Just like that, Eric could see the fight leaving her. Before him stood a meek, broken girl, soaked to the skin from his cold shower treatment. He noticed then that steam was rising from her overheated body but she was beginning to shiver. Looking at her now, he could see she had been chastised enough for one night.

"Go get dry. We're done here." As she moved passed him towards the door, he called out "I mean it Maggie. I'm done with this. I never want to hear you talk about me or my work like that again." Her brief pause in the doorway the only acknowledgement she gave him as she left.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie wandered around the darkened hallways aimlessly, unable think straight or see well through her tears. Eventually, she gave up moving and slid down a wall, curling herself up as a panic attack took over her senses. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, completely without control of her body or her senses.

"There you are!" she heard Zeke exclaim in relief. It was short lived when he saw the state she was in. "Sweetheart, what happened to you? Your soaked to the bone!" Maggie's breathing became more ragged as a fresh wave of tears spilled over. "Hey, M, look at me. That's it, just look at me. Now, breathe. Good girl. You're ok. It's ok." He was crouched down in front of her and had taken her hands in his. Without need for an explanation, Zeke stood and picked her up, cradling her with all the care he could muster. She just let him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burrowing her face into his chest as he carried her back to her apartment. When they arrived, Maggie could hear Ro cry out in surprise at the state of her. She jumped up to get a warm shower going, taking over from Zeke, she stripped Maggie of her frigid, wet clothes and helped her under the warm stream. As Maggie began to feel like herself again, she moved from the shower and dried off, getting into her waiting pajamas before crawling into bed. Ro gave her a kiss on the forehead and pulled the covers tight around her. Zeke knocked on the door and walked in, climbing into bed behind Maggie, pulling her to his chest.

"Feel better?" he inquired. She nodded in answer and he broached the subject of Eric. "Look, I know he has been goading you into it for days, but M, you really need to think before you go off on him like that. You're too sweet to keep up with his form of fighting. He's had years of practice in people confronting him."

"I know it was stupid. I just lost it. They way he's been acting…I just hate it!"

"Maybe, for the time being, you actively stay out of his way. Things will calm down soon enough and he'll find someone else to prey upon. It just can't be you anymore."

Maggie turned her face around to look at her friend. "I promise to stay away from him. But will he do the same?"

"I don't know sweetheart. I hope so."

 **. . . . .**

Eric stood on his balcony looking out at the city. Lights out would take affect soon and once the city darkened he loved how clearly the stars shone. The night had turned into a confusing one for Eric. He had wanted to see how far he could push Maggie and seeing her snap was a sight, there was no denying it. That fire in her blazing bright and beautiful. But it was fleeting and to see her break down in the hallway later on was not part of the plan. He had stayed back after their argument, contemplating heading to the gym for a workout but decided to sit by the chasm instead. It was hours later that he decided to head back home when he heard the desperate tears of a woman nearby. From the shadows around the corner, he spotted Maggie having a panic attack and he felt his chest constrict at the sight. He started toward her when he heard Zeke call out, comforting her. When he cradled Maggie in his arms, carrying her back home, well, he didn't know what to think. Which Pedrad was she screwing anyway?

He took the empty bottle from the table behind him and dropped it over the railing, seeing it tumble over in the air before smashing on the ground below. A few moments later, Eric heard a knock on the door and went to see who it could be. Opening it just a little, he could see Four standing on the other side with a serious look on his face. Who was Eric kidding, Four always had a serious look on his face.

"Four," Eric held the door open for the man to step inside. "What a pleasant surprise." He put his sarcasm voice back on for his guest. Four walked passed him and stopped in the middle of the living room, looking around.

"I don't think you need to ask why I'm here." He stated, looking directly at Eric.

"On the contrary, Four. Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Cut the shit, Eric! I was working the late shift. I saw everything!"

Eric feigned surprise "Spying on private conversations now are we? Did your _daddy_ teach you that?" Four knew better than to take the bait.

"I wanted to make sure you didn't kill her. Or worse."

"Worse than kill her? What do you take me for?"

"You were acting like a child." Four wasn't about to back down but then, neither was Eric.

"So was she."

At that statement, Four glared at Eric, arms crossed over his chest. "Well you're old enough to know better! Grow up! The amount of times you've pushed her lately, what were you expecting to happen? You goaded and tested her and she lashed out. Why don't you do everyone a favour and back the hell off? Your game serves no purpose and it's making you look ridiculous."

Eric walked up until the two men were standing toe to toe. "And what if I don't?"

"You need more leaders, right? Maybe next time the offer comes, I'll accept it. We both know I'm better suited for the job and it won't be long before I outrank you. You can guarantee I won't forget anything you've done."

Eric smirked at the threat. "Hmm," he stalked to the kitchenette to pour himself another drink. "Look at you Four. You're finally growing a pair." Four could see that playful look in Eric's eyes and didn't want to play into his games.

"Just stay away from Maggie." He turned and let himself out, the door clicking shut behind him. Eric sat on a stool at the breakfast bar, staring at the glass in his hands. What was it about this girl that had everyone feeling the need to come to her rescue? Knowing that he wouldn't be able to get any sleep for the night, He chose to clean himself up and head into the office and get an extra early start on his day. A distraction would certainly be welcomed after the last couple of hours, knowing that he could always think on Four's offer or threat or whatever the hell you'd call it, and make a decision later.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone, here we go again! I'm not too sure I'm happy with this chapter but I hope you enjoy it. I was blown away by how well received the last chapter was. Thanks to everyone for those awesome reviews! You're fueling my creative side to get more of the story out! I realized that I neglected to give a brief summary about the slight AU that my story takes place in. I will put something up in the first chapter to explain a few things. One reviewer wanted to know why Maggie hadn't received credits or inherited anything from her family at their deaths. It was a great point to bring up! I decided that it didn't fit in with how I wanted dauntless to be portrayed in my little au. For this story, no dauntless member receives anything they don't earn for themselves so that when they enter initiation, they all begin as equals and have to earn everything they get. I hope that makes sense** **Anyway…please enjoy the new chapter xx**

 **Chapter 6**

Maggie sat propped up on her bed, looking out the window. It had become a ritual of sorts for her over the past six weeks since she and Ro had moved in. She loved to see the sun rising up over the wall, casting the sky in a brilliant glow of breathtaking colours. It felt like her time here so far had both flown by and dragged on simultaneously. Since that first day out on the patrols, Maggie had learned a great deal from observing Zeke. He was knowledgeable and professional, smart and strong. He together with Brad and Jason had guided her through the initial stages of her patrol training and now that she had grown in confidence, they were stepping back to allow her to carry out tasks on her own. She had grown fond of these two new colleagues of hers, and after her bold outburst against Eric, they seemed to respect her more, believing her to be a woman who stood her ground.

A routine of sorts had been created for Maggie and her friends as well. During the week, she would get up extra early to work out, not wanting to lose any strength or fitness. She would then shower before joining Zeke, Uriah and Will for breakfast – often not seeing the younger two men for the remainder of the day – before heading out on patrol with the rest of A crew. They had taken her out to almost all the different sectors of the city by now, Maggie finding that she preferred the constant swapping around as she was able to get to know every inch of Chicago. Understanding the city and its people would give her more ammunition when she finally got to go after the factionless rebels who had murdered her family.

When they got into dauntless again each night, Maggie would join her friends at dinner and usually go to the pub afterwards. It had taken two weeks after her run in with Eric before Maggie had the courage to venture out there again, however. Eventually Uriah had insisted that Eric had most likely found someone else to make miserable and she had given in.

Mostly on weekends, she would spend a lot of her time relaxing in her apartment with Ro. Sometimes when Ro worked the weekend shift, Maggie would go into the tattoo parlour and help Ro with clean-up duty, sterilizing equipment and wiping down the chairs. She enjoyed the way Ro and Christina would banter between each other and with their customers. Tori never minded having an extra person in the shop, especially when once in a while, she would add more ink to her skin.

Maggie saw Eric strutting around the compound every now and then but he stayed away from her, much to her relief. Mostly she spotted him in the busy mess hall or at the pub, both locations were busy enough that she was able to refrain from looking at him, becoming quite disciplined in the act of avoidance. On the rare occasion, she would spot him in passing, whether he was working or on his way somewhere. Each time that had happened, her body would stiffen and she would walk passed him as quickly as she could, training her eyes straight ahead so as not to provoke the man or engage in another argument. He always seemed just as on edge in those moments, evading each other becoming their new dance. She could tell Max had heard about their fight. He never said anything to her but the look of disappointment on his face was enough. It cut Maggie deeply to see him look at her that way and fuelled a determination in her to control her tongue around Eric from now on.

She decided it was time to get up for the day. It was Saturday and she had plans to do as little as possible in order to allow her tired muscles and aching feet a chance to recuperate from the constant marching around the city. She and Ro headed out to the mess hall to grab some breakfast before her day of nothingness began.

 **. . . . .**

Eric was allowing himself a sleep in for once. It had been a long time since he wasn't up before the sun, working on something for the good of the faction. He had been feeling extra wound up lately and Max had ordered him to relax for a day or two. His alarm had been turned off although he was sure he would wake up anyway, out of habit. He was surprised to see it was visibly a lot later, however, when he cracked his eyes open. He had been dreaming. The same one he had been having for months now of pretty brown eyes and a wide, heart stopping smile. She was smiling for someone else of course. Always for someone else.

When Eric woke up properly, he couldn't help but think about the events that brought on these dreams. It was the very first day he had laid eyes on Maggie. He had been curious just like everyone else about the Ivor girl and what she would be like. As a relatively new member of the faction himself, Eric's path had never crossed that of the legend's daughter although he knew she was around there somewhere. That morning, Max had left to give the speech before the choosing ceremony commenced, telling Eric it was Maggie's year to choose. He had seemed a little on edge, like he didn't truly believe Maggie would want to stay here. It was funny to Eric that in all the time he had known about her, it had never occurred to him that she would want to leave.

After a few hours, he had received word from Max that she didn't even waver in her decision, picking dauntless without an ounce on trepidation. It was part of Eric's job to be the one on the rooftop welcoming the new initiates to their faction. This year, in a matter of moments, he would get to catch a glimpse of the last remaining relative of a legend in the flesh. He hid his curiosity well, outwardly appearing as bored and imposing as he usually did. All the while, his insides were knotting up in anticipation. What would she be like? He pictured a large barbarian of a woman, thickly roped muscles and a menacing glare, scaring the shit out of her fellow initiates and anyone else who dared to cross her. Maybe she would have a cunning look in her eye and be tattooed head to toe, marking herself as a true dauntless woman. Hell, he watched out for someone with insane hair, scars, anything really that would mark her as different from the rest of the new pack.

When the initiates landed on the roof, however, what he saw was not what he was expecting. He didn't anticipate a slight, although athletic young lady. Clearly strong but lean. He wasn't expecting her to be helping that tiny little thing from amity up off the floor after rolling ungracefully from her jump. He wasn't expecting the sweet smile she gave her new blonde companion, who said something inappropriate, causing Maggie, to giggle like any other seventeen year old girl would.

She was a walking contradiction. Forgetting herself with her new friend, emanating joy in one moment, then standing stoically in the next. Her eyes both soft and hard in the same moment, as if briefly forgetting herself before mustering up a mask, hiding who she really was. What Eric noticed the most was how even when she smiled, her eyes held no light. There was no life there as if she had just checked out and had spent the greater part of her life wandering around dead inside.

When it came time for someone to jump, she never hesitated, taking the plunge first like it was nothing. She baffled him right from the start and it only got more confusing for him from there.

After the last initiate had jumped, he made his way down to hear Four and Lauren make their introductions. Once Four had led the transfers on a tour of the compound, the dauntless born were greeted by their families, happy to see them stay. He saw the Pedrad brothers run up to Maggie, Uriah swinging her around, telling her now glad he was that she had decided to stay. Again, this baffled Eric. Where else was there? Zeke's greeting was a little more dignified. Eric had always liked Zeke, despite his unfortunate choice in a best friend. He embraced Maggie affectionately and whispered something to her. Eric couldn't make out what it was or her answer however.

Eric observed her over the following months of initiation. Now that the process took the better part of a year, he didn't oversee training every day but often enough to get an idea of where each recruit would be best suited. He saw how Maggie excelled in all aspects of physical training, not losing any of her fights and carrying out all tasks given without a problem. It had given him hope that his first impressions had been wrong. She was agile, able to get the jump on everyone before they had a chance to move. Her athleticism coming into play as she could outlast her opponents in a fight, but strategic enough to not need to. If was majestic to watch. Like she was born to fight and Eric suspected it had a lot to do with her father teaching her from a young age.

The thing he loved the most about seeing her fight was that it was the only time her eyes lit up other than when she was with her most beloved friends. When she was out on the mats, throwing everything she had into the battles before her, he caught a glimpse of a woman full of passion and fight, eyes blazing, coming alive before him. It was those brief moments that he could see the warrior he had hoped she would be.

She was particularly skilled with knife throwing and don't get him started on how he reacted to Maggie with a gun in her hands. He always got hot and bothered seeing how powerful they made her look, often having to avert his attention to not look like a creep or a pervert.

When the time came for the initiates to face their fear landscapes, he stepped back, letting other trainers take over. He received reports on how each initiate scored but they weren't in depth about specific fears. It surprised Eric to see how much Maggie was struggling in this stage. How could someone so capable turn out to be such a coward? She quickly went from number one in the class to somewhere around early teens in a matter of weeks and his opinion of her deflated along with her ranking. But, the girl had worked out a way to face those fears eventually, finishing at a respectable although less than impressive number seven. Six other initiates showing they were more dauntless than her.

Eric had basically forgotten all about the disappointing girl until he overheard her running her mouth off to her blonde friend at the pub the night they became full members. After their brief argument he was reminded how she had appeared to be all those months ago in the training room and messing with her became a sport for the leader.

After they had fought in the initiates dorm and Four had made his little threats, Eric had taken a step back for a while. Doubly motivated when word had gotten back to Max about it and he had treated Eric like an errant child for weeks. He would see her in the mess hall with her friends, going out of her way to not look at him. He could see how much she wanted to be as far away from him as she possibly could be, sitting with her back facing him during meals. She stayed away from the pub for a fortnight and when she finally returned, she never went up to the bar when Eric was there.

He found himself missing seeing those big deep brown eyes of hers, even looking at him in disgust. He had resorted to practically stalking the woman. It had happened by chance that he was on his way from the office to the infirmary in the early hours one morning when he noticed Maggie working out in the old training room. After that, he found himself often hiding in the shadows of the practically deserted area. It was always quiet and empty there, other dauntless members preferring the updated equipment in the new training quarters. She would go through endless gruelling workouts every day, oblivious to his presence. He felt like a creep but he just really needed to see those eyes light up again and was done with provoking her after just about breaking the girl the last time they argued.

Eric sat up on the bed, rubbing his face with his hands. It was getting late and he didn't particularly feel like spending the day alone in bed. He figured he'd have enough time to make it to the mess hall for breakfast and then go get a workout in. Getting dressed for the day, Eric checked the state of himself in the mirror, deeming his five o'clock shadow would just have to wait to be shaven off until later if he wanted to get a meal in.

When Eric arrived at the mess he noticed how empty it seemed. They were about to stop serving food so he made his way to pick out what was left that looked edible before heading to his usual table. Max was still seated there, reading over some reports while nursing a cup of coffee.

"Morning boss." Eric greeted as he took his spot across from the older man.

"Eric! How are you?" Max returned, eyeing Eric over the top of his papers. "You're looking more rested this morning."

"Yes, I skipped the early start this morning. I can't remember the last time I slept passed 4."

Max nodded "You should probably think about trying that more often. Sleep deprivation is a form of torture, you know."

"I'll keep that in mind. What're you working on?"

"Just going over some reports from the hub. The next lot of initiates will be coming in soon. We really need better numbers this year."

Eric pondered on that for a moment "More members would be good. Maybe we'd be able to sleep in a lot more often. Got a plan to bring in more people?"

Max frowned, trying to work something out "No plan just yet. Maybe this year I'll send some of our most attractive members to talk to the kids at the hub. Maybe it'll give them a more glamorous perception of dauntless."

"Prey on their superficial side huh?" Eric smirked. It was hard to tell if Max was serious about it or not but sadly, he did have a point. "So who would your models be? You could get your tiny little admirer on board. She's alright to look at and I'm sure she'd do anything you asked." Eric winked at his own statement. Ro had been very open about her attraction toward Max. Max nodded in thought.

"We could go with her," he paused not really wanting to say his next words "I was also thinking, maybe sending Four as well." Eric scoffed

"The stiff?!" he spat out as if the mere thought put a bad taste in his mouth. "I'm better looking than wonder boy." Max chuckled at the younger man's ever present need to compete with his peer.

"We also don't want to send someone who will scare the shit out of potential initiates." He pointed out. Eric decided to continue eating and let the topic rest. After a while a thought came to him.

"What it we did a fighting demonstration or something? You know, have a career day of sorts. Set up target practice for shooting and knife throwing and get some of our best fighters to have display fights to show the fun side of what we do. Maybe get their interest that way."

Max brightened considerably at the suggestion. "I like it. I won't have outsiders in our compound though. It would have to be set up elsewhere." Eric agreed with that statement. There was no way they wanted potential factionless learning their way around the city's only source of defence.

"The hub has room. For the fights at least. I'm not sure about the shooting though."

"I'll speak with them after I'm done here." Max informed him before changing the subject. "Have you given any thought to who you might want to offer a leadership position to?"

Eric really hadn't. There were the obvious choices, of course, but they weren't people he really felt comfortable giving positions of power to. He knew that he would have to push those feelings aside for the good of the faction eventually but it wasn't an easy call to make. So he shook his head at Max slowly. Max sighed in response.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but we need Four on board." Eric went to protest but Max put a hand up to silence him "He's clearly a made for the position. I know the two of you have your differences but you know as well as I do that he would excel at it."

Eric started pushing his fork around on his plate, suddenly finding the motion fascinating. It took him several moments to respond.

"Even if we make him the offer again, you and I both know he won't accept. He always turns it down."

"Well try anyway. Try and be convincing this time will you?" Eric scoffed at this

"Yeah I'll be convincing." Max just looked at him sternly before dropping it.

"Well, I'm off to the office. Go talk to Four about leadership. If you get him to sign up I'll give you the rest of the day off." He joked

"Oh boy!" Eric own sarcasm making Max chuckle as he took his leave. Eric sat for a while trying to see if by chance Four was still in the room. After scanning the hall, Eric spotted the man in question sitting with none other than Maggie.

 _Well this will be interesting._ He thought to himself as he moved toward the pair at the edge of the room.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie and Ro had joined their usual group at breakfast but when most of them had wanted to head to the pit for some music and dancing, it hadn't sounded appealing to the young woman in that moment. Four noticed her reluctance to join them and had stayed back to keep her company. She was glad to know she wasn't the only person who enjoyed the quiet over large crowds and had happily stayed back with him, talking easily and passing time in comfortable conversation. He had just started telling her about his plans for expanding surveillance in the control room when Maggie felt a significant change in the atmosphere at their table. Looking up, she spotted Eric standing to the side of them, watching intently. Four looked over to her, a clear show of his displeasure to be in the same vicinity as Eric written on his face. Yet another thing about Four Maggie could relate to.

"Eric." Four acknowledged simply, looking directly at him

"Four." He answered before turning to Maggie "Your Majesty." It took a considerable amount of self restraint for Maggie to stop herself from flipping him off. Zeke had been helping her work on her impulse control and thus far, it had worked. Four caught her eye and gave her a discreet smile. Just like that, she was back in control and able to be the bigger person.

"Good morning Eric. Is there something we can help you with?" her sickly sweet tone sounded almost as fake as Eric's always did, earning her a raised eyebrow from him.

"Actually, I had hoped to catch Four alone but I don't see why you can't be here for this." With that he went to sit down on the table right between where the two sat. Maggie wondered if this was another of Eric's attempts to intimidate them but other than having to crane their necks at an uncomfortable angle to see his face, neither Maggie nor Four would give him the satisfaction of reacting.

"Alright, what is it?" Four inquired.

"Well, I've been talking to Max. I'm sure you don't need to ask me what about."

Four clenched his jaw "I'm not interested." He stated simply, not wanting to go through this again.

"Oh come on Four. What happened to those threats you made a few weeks ago? Not ready to follow through on them huh?"

Maggie looked over to Four, her interest piqued.

"Well, so far, you've listened to my request so there is no reason to." His answer discreet enough not to clue Maggie in. Eric looked between Four and Maggie, a smile forming slowly.

"So we're striking out again are we Four? You still not willing to step up?"

Four frowned deeply. "It isn't the right career move for me at this time." He stated, trying to stay calm. Eric turned his full attention toward the young woman now.

"What about you? Have you changed your mind about becoming a leader yet?" Maggie shook her head.

"I won't change my mind about that. Leadership isn't for me."

"Ok." Was all he answered with. He looked smug and Maggie couldn't help the feeling that they had both given him the responses that he had hoped for.

"Your plans for world domination live to fight another day." She blurted out defiantly before thinking. Her eyes widened briefly, unsure how he would react. To her surprise he just laughed her off.

"Something like that."

At the conclusion of their conversation with Eric, a few things happened simultaneously. Maggie spotted a flash of movement from the platform to the side of the mess hall, leading to one of the exits. She heard a large blast and the room shook violently, pieces of the ceiling starting to fall around them. More movement followed and there was a hint of men in factionless clothing darting from the closed off kitchen area. Eric to call out urgently for Maggie and Four to get down before he dived toward Maggie, flinging her to the floor under the table behind them. He covered her body with his own just as a second charge went off, causing an explosion to cave in the roof of the mess hall.


	7. Chapter 7

**Another chapter up! I found this one practically wrote itself. The scene in the mess hall was the first little idea I had that brought on the entire fic! I hope you enjoy the Eric/Maggie one-on-one time ;) As always, thanks for the awesome reviews! Much love xx**

 **Chapter 7**

The air was thick with dust. Screams and shouts of panic could be heard, although they were muffled for some reason. Maggie blinked in confusion, looking around the room from her position on the floor. It was darker than usual, the power having been affected by the blasts. Her ears were ringing, causing her head to feel fuzzy which added to her inability to focus. As she surveyed the room, Maggie could see that the explosions had caused a cave in to completely destroy the mess hall. She could see the kitchen had sustained a great deal of damage and Maggie wracked her brain, trying to recall if any of the kitchen staff were still working but she hadn't been paying attention. She desperately hoped everyone was alright.

She felt a large weight shift off of her, the sudden reminder that Eric had shielded her from the blast. She looked toward him, about to speak when Four groaned and pulled himself up from the floor beside her. Suddenly, he snapped to attention, turning to her to check how she was fairing.

"Maggie!" he caught hold of her arm, looking her over to see it there were any injuries. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Maggie just looked at him with a furrowed brow, still too confused to find her voice. Slowly she made eye contact with Four and tried to focus.

"I'm... I think I'm ok..." she moved to sit up, Four guiding her up slowly, feeling her head for any bumps or cuts.

"I think you look ok."

"Yes, Four, the woman is alright! Now get off your asses and help me out here!" Eric's rough voice called for their attention. He was looking around the room, trying to work out the safest route out of there. It would be up to him to coordinate damage control, and he would need the help of the two dauntless standing before him.

"Four, I need you to go to the caved in section, see if you can communicate with anyone on the other side. Maggie, I want you to – "

"You're bleeding!" Maggie blurted out, catching sight of the side of Eric's head. He put his hand up to where she was pointing. When be brought in back, he could see it was coated in blood. The wound now dripping the sticky fluid out quickly onto his shoulder and making its way to the floor. She stepped up to him and gingerly reached out to touch the site of his wounded scalp. She was significantly shorter than Eric, so she coaxed him to sit at one of the tables that was somehow still upright after the disturbance. Reluctantly, he obeyed her urging and allowed her to inspect the source of his bleeding. She saw a large gash at the top of the right side of his head. Probing gently, Maggie assessed that it was a shallow cut accompanied with a large bump and Eric smacked her petite, feminine hand away with his much larger brutish one, wincing at the unexpected pain radiating from his skull.

"Ow! Watch it!" he snapped at her. Ignoring him, Maggie spoke to her friend.

"Four, can you check if you can get inside the kitchen? There'll be a first aid kit in there." Maggie instructed. Four nodded and worked his way carefully through the rubble. There was a lot of damage to the room around them so it would be slow going. Maggie needed to stop the bleeding somehow and looked around her for anything that would do the job until Four returned with bandages. She saw some napkins nearby and figured they would have to do. She pulled away the ones on the outside of the pile, discarding them as they were covered in dirt and grime. She placed some clean ones to the gash, applying pressure on it. Eric supressed the urge to jump at the stinging sensation, not wanting to show weakness but Maggie saw that he was hurting.

"Four will be back soon with something to clean you up a little better." She assured him. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You should've left it alone." Eric chided "It didn't hurt until you pointed it out to me. _Ouch!_ " Maggie pressed the cut a little firmer than necessary and hid her smirk at his acknowledgement of the pain she had caused.

"Hold still you big baby. I need to get this bleeding under control."

"Yeah, whatever you say." it was then that Maggie noticed the slight slur to his speech. She took hold of his jaw, guiding his face towards hers to look into his eyes.

"You feeling alright?"

"Mmhmm." Was all he could manage with her pretty brown eyes probing into his soul.

"No confusion? Dizziness? Nausea?"

"What?"

Maggie sighed, "You could have a concussion. Whatever came down on your head had to have hit you pretty badly." Eric didn't have time for this.

"It doesn't matter. We need to asses the damage done here. Get people together to rebuild and go after the sons of bitches who did this!"

"You'll be no good to anyone until your injury is sorted out so stay still would you!" Her stern tone telling him that she meant business and wasn't to be argued with. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn't up for a fight. Not a coherent one at least, so he settled in to be taken care of. He found it easier than he thought it would be, letting Maggie nurse his wound. He realized that he didn't mind the way her hands felt on his skin

After a few minutes of the two avoiding looking at each other and having no words to speak, Four finally returned with a first aid kit. He held a serious, grim expression on is face, alerting Eric to trouble.

"Roland is dead." He stated simply, unable to sugar-coat the news about the tough as nails chef. Maggie's hand stilled, suddenly aware of the gravity of their situation. She had been so focussed on her task of taking care of the young leader that she had managed to avoid thinking about the question that was burning at the back of her mind. How many people were hurt? How many had lost their lives? Were her friends alright? Isolated in the heavily damaged mess hall, the trio were unsure to what extent the compound had been affected.

Eric nodded in acknowledgement. "Any other casualties?"

"There were two others in the kitchen with him. They're pretty shaken up but I haven't been able to see how many people were down here." Four answered before turning his attention to Maggie, passing her the bag he had retrieved. "I can't remember if anyone was left, can you?" she shook her head, setting to the task of cleaning Eric's wound and patching in up properly.

"Do you think... could the blast have..." Maggie took a deep breath, calming her thoughts before she could lose control of them. Her hands were shaking a little. "The pit. Do you think the pit was safe?" she turned her wide eyes to Four. He shared a look with Eric before turning back to her.

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "Are you good here? I'll head over to check the cave-in site. See if anyone can hear me from the other side."

"Yeah, I've got this." She replied quietly. Her thoughts were warring within her. She couldn't lose Uri or Zeke. She couldn't go through life without Ro or any of the others for that matter. They had to be ok. They just had to. She needed to pull herself together, knowing Four was just as concerned about their friends, about Tris especially. He needed to be able to depend on Maggie through this. She focussed again on the injury on Eric's head. Glad for the distraction, even if it was an unfortunate one.

Eric watched Maggie intently. He wondered what was going on in that head of hers. Her actions since the explosion confusing him. She was treating him with gentle care, skilled with the task of first aid. It was an important skill to have, of course. Especially with the life they had chosen. He was glad to see her staying relatively calm in a situation such as this, considering it was him she was patching up.

As Maggie brought up some saline to clean the gash, she paused briefly. "This will hurt." She warned him, the question in her eyes asking permission to proceed. He nodded his head, bracing for the inevitable pain. When the fluid reached into his wound, he jumped, blowing a sharp breath out through his teeth. Maggie took one hand around to cradle the back of his head, keeping him as still as she could so she could clean and inspect the damage. She leaned forward to get a better look.

"There is something caught in there." She informed him while grabbing for some tweezers. "I need you to hold really still for me. Can you do that?" Her voice holding stern authority.

"Yeah." With that, Maggie carefully probed into the cut with the tweezers with all the care she could manage. Eric was cringing at the sensation, unconsciously moving away from her hands. She was using the forearm attached to her free hand to brace against his face. Her wrist wrapped around the top of his head to both hold her patient still and get better stability to carry out her task. Gently, she managed to dig out a small broken off fragment of the piece of ceiling that had caused the damage. Cleaning and inspecting the cut once more, Maggie was happy that it was ready to be taped closed and dressed .

"I'm not equipped to stitch you up, but there are some bandages here to keep it clean. I'd like to tape the cut closed and dress it. Is that ok with you?" she sought his permission before proceeding.

"Go ahead." He spoke calmly, lost in thought. As Maggie continued working on him, Eric used the time to watch her movements. He was yet again baffled by the young woman before him.

"How do you know all this?" he voiced his thoughts.

"My mother taught me when I was little. She always said it was important to be prepared for anything."

"That's true." He agreed. "You know, sometimes, you really don't act like a dauntless would."

"That's because I didn't get dauntless on my aptitude test." She told him honestly.

Eric sat up straighter, surprised by the revelation ."What did you get?" Maggie paused, as if revealing this information would come back to haunt her later. She sized him up for a minute, not sure if he was worthy to know this about her.

"Amity." She spoke finally. Eric looked at her for a moment before he began to chuckle softly.

"What do you find so funny?"

"You don't act like an Amity either." He pointed out. Thinking about it, Maggie supposed that was true.

"Yeah, well, you don't really bring out the Amity in me." She conceded with a small smile.

 _Well, that explains why everyone was so relieved she decided to stay._ Eric thought to himself. They were silent for a while as she worked. As she moved on to placing a small dressing across the cut to help keep it protected, Eric voiced another question.

"So, why choose Dauntless then?" he said it so quietly , she could barely hear it. He looked into her eyes to continue. "You lost so much here, why would you want to stay if it isn't where you're best suited?"

"I don't think there was much of a choice." Her answer not what he was expecting and his face reflected that. "You know as well as I do that now more than ever, Dauntless needs numbers. It wouldn't have been right to choose for myself when the city needs as many able bodied protectors as it can get. Besides, after everything I saw back then," she paused, he knew what she was referring to "I think it knocked a lot of the Amity out of me."

"You can't change who you are. Who you were born to be."

"I disagree!" Maggie could feel her heart beating faster, warming her limbs and getting her ready for another argument. She tried to control the urge to stick the tweezers back into his scalp as her annoyance rose. "People change all the time. Choices and experiences shape who a person is and a simple aptitude test can't always pick up on that!"

Eric scoffed. "Always so defensive! But while we're on the topic, we need real soldiers in this faction, not fucking bleeding hearts who make us weak!"

"Hey, I am a good soldier! If you go looking you won't find many better fighters than me!"

"Yeah, too bad about your impulse control. Let's not even mention your reactions in your sims!"

"What do you know about my sims? You never saw them. I worked them out anyway. They weren't like other fears but I got through them!"

Just like that, Eric's interest was piqued . "Max said the same thing weeks ago. What were your fears?" Maggie snapped her mouth shut, refusing to say anything further.

Eric decided to let it drop. For now at least. They would be of no use going at each other's throats when they were needed for damage control.

"You're all patched up." Maggie stated coolly, not meeting Eric's eyes.

"Great, thanks." His voice couldn't have held any more sarcasm if he tried. Thankfully for the two of them, Four chose that moment to return from his assessment of the cave in.

"Alright," he started "There are weak spots in the ceiling close to the kitchen so we'd best avoid doing anything there. Out towards the exits to the housing section is our best bet."

Eric nodded, looking toward the site. Four continued

"I was able to speak to someone through the rubble. There are a few injuries but it's too difficult to tell the extent just yet. I sent someone to get Max and another to check out the pit."

Maggie's heart started to race at the reminder. "Have they gotten back to you?"

"No. They haven't had enough time to make it there and back yet." Before either Maggie or Eric could answer him, Four's head snapped up, suddenly very alert, looking over their shoulders. "Stop!" he called out before taking off running.

Maggie looked to Eric in confusion.

"Stupid asshole has probably gone after them." He stated. She didn't need to ask who he meant by 'them'.

"Shouldn't we back him up?" Eric narrowed his eyes at her before shaking his head.

"We're needed here. Besides, I'm sure Four can handle himself."

"He's unarmed and alone. Who knows how many of those assholes are out there. I'm going." She took in the direction Four had left not a minute before.

Eric growled behind her before following. This was a bad idea. None of them had access to weapons as they were on the other side of the newly formed wall of rubble, along with the two-ways and all other useful supplies. Every instinct Eric possessed was screaming for him to hang back. The factionless could wait. He couldn't let the young woman head out there blindly by herself however so he sprinted to catch up to her.

 **. . . . .**

Max had just made it to his office when the blasts had shaken the compound. All the power was cut and pictures fell from walls. He immediately turned and bolted toward the mess hall. It was the first designated area of assembly in an emergency. When he reached the entry to the mess hall, it hadn't taken him long to work out that his path was blocked by a wall of debris and he turned to take the long way around. The walkways nearby led to housing and from there, he could wind his way to the pit and hopefully, get through that way. The trek took him over twenty minutes as he couldn't use the lifts to go down the levels. By the time he got to the pit, he saw a large number of dauntless gathered there. He sought out Eric, needing more authoritarian figures to help work out what needed to be done. Unable to find the younger man, Max approached Tori, who outranked most other members.

"What have we got?" he inquired.

"We've sent men out to the outer sections of the compound to see if there has been widespread damage. So far, it seems to be confined to our power and the mess hall. There has been a cave in and we're blocked off from it."

Max nodded. "From the other side too." He affirmed. "I couldn't get through from the offices."

"Thank God it's a single level there! Who knows how bad it could have been otherwise." The woman thought out loud.

"How many have been hurt that you know of?"

Tori listed off all she knew. "We've got seventeen injuries of people close to the cave in. So far, we're not sure if anyone was directly under it. We're in the process of setting up a makeshift casualty area."

Max nodded, thinking through options. "Send word to Erudite. We'll need transport available to their hospital for all those whose injuries are too serious to treat here."

"Yes sir."

"How long until we know if it's safe to move the debris out from where it's caved in?"

"I'll have Erudite send their engineers out as well."

"Good. Get to it. The sooner we get started the better."

Tori turned to go but paused, looking back to Max. "Max, I haven't been able to contact Eric. Nobody knows where he is."

Max's heart stopped momentarily before it began pounding rapidly. A sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach, remembering where he had last seen the man.

"He was in there." Max stated simply. Tori set her lips in a grim line, worry evident on her face.

"I'm sure he's alright in there." With that, Tori left in search of help.

Max made his way closer to the cave in site when a young woman ran up to him.

"Sir! I've been speaking with Four, he's on the other side, in the mess." She told him. "He said there has been a fatality. He's unsure about any others though."

Max felt sick at the images going through his mind. They had lost at least one person. He dreaded hearing who it could be. "Did he say who it was?"

The woman frowned. "No Sir. He just said that there were two people tending to the body. He also said he was with Eric and a woman. The head count was five alive and the one dead." she answered. "Eric has been injured but is doing alright." At the news that his young friend was indeed alright, Max relaxed, only a little.

"Alright, take me to where you were able to talk to Four. We'll find out what our chances are of getting this rubble out of the way without causing a bigger cave in." With that, they moved further in.

When Max and the young woman arrived at their destination, they were greeted by a frantic Tris.

"Max! Four was in there! We need to find him!" she half choked the words out through her desperate sobs.

"Maggie too." Zeke piped up, putting on a calmer front than his friend "What can we do?"

Max put a calming hand on Tris' shoulder. "We've had contact with Four." He told her "This young woman..." he turned to her, unsure of her name.

"Shauna." She introduced herself to him.

"Sorry." Max shook his head "Shauna has spoken with Four. He's alright." Tris turned to Shauna who nodded her confirmation. Tris shook, sagging with relief. Ro and Christina stepped up, taking some of her weight.

"What about Maggie? Do you know how she is?" Uriah voiced his worries. Shauna stepped forward, relaying all she knew to the group who had formed.

"Alright," Max stepped forward, taking charge of the situation "Tris, I know you're in shock right now but I need you up in the control room. We've been without power for a while now and as soon as it comes on, I want you to go through the surveillance from right before the blast. The more information we can get the better." With that, he move his attention to the men in the group. "Will, you know a bit about the power supply right?"

Will nodded. "Just a little. I read all sorts of user manuals before I transferred."

"Good. Take Zeke and Uriah out there with you. We need power up as soon as you can manage."

"What about this mess?" Uriah pointed to the wall of debris separating them from people they cared about. "Someone needs to start clearing it up so we can get to the others." Max shook his head.

"Not yet. Tori is sending for engineers to make sure it's safe to clear it."

"We don't have time for that!" Uriah groaned in frustration. He began pacing, becoming worked up "Maggie is in there. We need to get her out!"

"As far as we know, they're doing ok in there, sitting tight. Stay calm, son. Go work on the power supply. If we all do the jobs we're given, this will happen quicker."

"Come on." Zeke coaxed his little brother out before he said anything too bold to his superior.

Once he had placated the worried group and had sent them off to their tasks, Max turned toward the wall to make contact.

"Four, it's Max. Four, can you hear me?" he called out.

From the other side of the wall, Max could hear a woman's voice answer.

"It's Clara from the kitchen Sir. Four is gone."

 **. . . . .**

Maggie rushed after Four who had taken off through the kitchen. Beyond the kitchen itself stood a large double door exit where their supplies were brought in. The young woman pushed through the doors and was hit with clean fresh air that was unaffected by the debris and dust floating around within the building. She looked around as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness of the mid morning sun. She saw her friend dart around the side of a structure across the road from her. She could hear Eric hot at her heels, so she started after Four, knowing Eric would catch up easily.

The pair ran around the corner to see Four paused, searching the area. "You see anything?" Maggie inquired. Four gestured toward the train tracks in the direction of Erudite. The three of them continued their pursuit, searching for any indication of their enemy nearby. As they went, they spotted a man darting behind a cluster of buildings and picked up their pace. Rounding the corner, they were brought to a quick halt, standing face to face with a group of men in tatty clothes. They all carried weapons, some with guns, others with large knives. They all shared cocky leers that sent chills up Maggie's spine.

The three dauntless looked around to see more factionless step out from the shadows behind them, some of them laughing at their prey.

"Would you look at this." One man stepped forward, a cunning grin plastered on his face. "Looks like we're gonna have some fun!" he walked toward Maggie. "Hey beautiful." He breathed out, running a rough finger down her arm. Goosebumps formed at his touch and she felt nausea forming at the way he looked at her.

Eric growled beside her and jumped forward, smashing his fist against the man's jaw. He continued his assault, getting in a few solid blows before another of the men stepped forward, hitting Eric in the head with the butt of his rifle with great force. Eric crumpled to the ground, rendered unconscious by the blow.

The man who had spoken to them now laughed, touching his split lip tentatively. Removing his finger to reveal blood. "Well! He exclaimed "We've sure got a tough guy huh?" his friends jeered and laughed. He turned and motioned toward Maggie and Four. Someone came up behind both of them, placing a dark blindfold over each of their faces. Next their hands were bound tightly behind their backs with coarse rope which dug into her skin. Maggie could feel someone's hot breath in her face, the stench making her stomach roll. He whispered menacingly into her ear.

"Lets all go for a ride."


	8. Chapter 8

**More words on paper for you all. It hasn't been the easiest week so I have been adding to the chapter when I had a chance. I hope you enjoy the direction I'm taking it. Please review xx :)**

 **Chapter 8**

Maggie put on the calmest front she could manage, although the panic inside her was causing her heart to almost break free from her chest. The restraints around her wrists were so tight and expertly tied that the more she struggled against them, the worse they dug into her flesh. The blindfold wouldn't allow even the barest hint of light in so Maggie had to rely on her other senses to help her out of this.

Maggie and Four had been shoved into what felt like the back of some sort of supply truck. How the factionless got a hold of it was beyond her. Once they had been pushed to sit against a wall, separate from each other, Maggie could hear the men drag Eric's unconscious body to the back of the truck before hauling him up with them. They had been travelling for what felt like an hour now with no indication that the injured man had gained consciousness. It was a long time to be out and with two blows to the head in the span of a couple of hours, Maggie couldn't help the concern she was feeling. If only she could check him to see that he was alright, it might calm her just a little. But Maggie chose not to speak. The three of them had managed not to engage in conversation thus far and it would be wise for her to continue following Four's lead on that.

Instead of succumbing to a panic attack, Maggie focussed on the small details she could gather. Any little detail could be the difference between getting free or being killed and with two other lives at stake, she felt determined to hold herself together and be useful. So she kept track of the minutes, even though she couldn't tell what speed they were going or which direction they were heading in. She also took note of the feel of the terrain. It started smoothly enough, followed by a few notable dips and crests. They were now on their second hour of travel and the trip was bumpy, jolting Maggie out of her spot on the floor before knocking her back instantaneously. When they jolted over a particularly large bump in the road, Maggie could hear as well as feel Eric's limp body rolling around causing her to cringe. What sort of shape would he be in by the time they reached their destination? Every time this happened, she could hear the vicious laughter of their captors, mocking the man who tried to take them all on.

When they arrived at wherever they had been taken, Maggie was roughly pulled from her spot on the floor by a strong grip on her upper arm. She could feel the bruise forming straight away and stopped herself from reacting. She could hear Four receiving the same treatment.

They were guided along until they reached a room. Maggie felt a boot kicking her on her lower back and the unexpected shove sent her flailing to the floor. It was only then that her blindfold was removed and she looked over to Four, checking to see if he was alright. He had a determined look on his face, his eyes burning into her own, as if willing her to hear his thoughts. To be on the same page as him as they figured out what to do. The factionless men who hurtled them inside turned and left without a word.

Maggie wandered her eyes around the room. It was small, barely three metres by four. The floors hard, cold concrete and the walls an old fashioned wood panelling with two long narrow windows up near the high ceiling. There was no furniture to speak of. Only a bucket in the corner and Maggie shuddered as the weight of their situation hit her like a tonne of bricks. She noticed Four doing the same as her, taking in their surroundings, the lines on his face indicating his moments of deep thought.

Before the two captives had a chance to speak with each other, the door was flung open and three large men carried Eric in, dropping him on the floor with an unceremonious thud.

"Heavy son of a bitch isn't he?" one of them quipped, earning laughter from the other two. He kicked Eric in the ribs, and Maggie drew in a sharp breath, about to berate the man but Four caught her attention, silencing her. The man strutted up to her, looking down with a menacing glint. She waited for the onslaught that was surely coming but he just leered at her for a moment, raking his eyes over her before turning and exiting the room. The other two followed him out. Once the door shut and they heard the lock turn, Maggie got up on her knees, shuffling toward the unconscious man before her.

With her arms tied behind her back, Maggie would be of no use to Eric so she sat back and shimmied her arms down passed her buttocks and thighs and moved her legs completely through the loop her arms made. It put her arms at an odd angle and the rope burned and dug into her skin as she twisted her arms and adjusted the angle her wrists were sitting at. She could see the harsh red, raw skin from underneath the rope and wondered how long her flesh would be able to take it before ripping apart.

Four had followed Maggie's action and then turned to her to work on the knots keeping her wrists together. It took a lot of work since they were so tightly bound and Four didn't have full mobility of his own hands but he eventually freed her. Maggie returned the favour as quickly as she could before turning her attention back to Eric. She examined his original wound that had only just been patched up and saw that it had split open again, although the bleeding was more controlled than earlier. She assumed that was courtesy of their rough trip out here. She felt around the back of his skull, feeling a large knot there where his head had met the butt of the rifle. To her relief, there were no cuts or blood to worry about from this one so she moved on with her examination. There didn't appear to be any other damage to him, but the fact that he had been out for so long was concerning Maggie.

"There is nothing much we can do for him from here." She explained to Four while stroking her hand through Eric's hair. Four nodded, continuing his observations around the room.

"I'm sure he'll wake up soon."

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Maggie inquired before continuing "I just know it took about two hours to get here. I haven't spent as much time out of dauntless as the others on patrol but I think we're somewhere past Candor."

"What makes you think that?" Four looked down toward Maggie, his expression serious but Maggie thought that just for a moment, she caught a hint of pride written on his face.

"Just the feel of the terrain. You know, all the hills that are in that section just past Candor headquarters." She felt the need to continue on, urged by his silence. "I think we were travelling for about two hours and I don't think they would have gotten through the fence without us noticing. There is a lot of empty land past the buildings there."

Four didn't say anything. He just stood up and walked toward the windows. They were high up but he was able to see out if he reached up just a little. Maggie would have no hope of reaching them to scope out the building.

"Can you see anything?"

Four shook his head. "Just another building. It's about noon by the looks of the shadows so you might be right about how long we were driving for." Maggie nodded although Four couldn't see. He turned from the window, contemplating her. "What else have you noticed?"

Maggie shrugged before thinking back. "There were nine of them at the ambush." Four nodded for her to continue. "Although there is no way of knowing how many are here."

"Yes. What else?"

"Not all of them had guns. Some were only carrying knives." There was something else bothering her, though. Four saw her hesitate and walked over to her, crouching down to see her better.

"What's bothering you?"

Maggie hesitated again, unsure if it was a solid theory of is she was just overthinking the whole situation. Four said nothing, simply waiting for Maggie to get there in her own time.

"I think they were targeting Eric specifically." She started slowly, gauging Four's reaction. He cocked his head to the side.

"Why do you say that?" he encouraged her to continue. Maggie rolled over the morning's events slowly in her head.

"Eric was late to breakfast, yeah?"

"I don't know. I haven't got Eric radar." Maggie couldn't help but feel that his statement was a dig at her recent discomfort around the intimidating leader. She shot him a look, warning him not to continue teasing her weakness.

"Well, I think he was late." She continued. "The bombs didn't go off until he was there. The ambush, them taking him down at the first chance. I think they're back to targeting leaders again." From there, Maggie trailed off, not wanting to go down that road in her head. It would do no good to be distracted from the problem in front of them. Four let out a slow breath at her statement, watching her as she tried to block out her personal pain.

"I have to admit, I've been wondering the same thing. It doesn't make sense that they would wait until the mess hall was just about cleared out before setting the charges off unless they were after something. Or someone. If they had set them off earlier, they would have killed most of the faction."

"We still don't know if there were any other points in the compound to be attacked." Her statement came out barely a whisper, her heart clenching at the very real possibility that they might never see their friends again. The people who were becoming a family to her.

"We can't think about that." Four broke through her thoughts, bringing her back to the problem they could face. "We need to figure out how to get the hell out of here and get back home."

 **. . . . .**

"What do you mean, Four is gone?" Max called back to Clara through the rubble wall. He did not like the sound of the woman's statement.

"They were here one minute, and the next, they were all running off out of the kitchen's back doors. I don't know how far away they are."

Knowing that they had a viable way out of the building was a small silver lining for Max. "Alright, Clara, I want you and everyone else out of the building. Go through the exit and sit tight nearby. We'll have someone meet you to check out how you are doing."

"Will do, Sir."

Max looked around him, his mind whirring a mile a minute. There was so much to do and he needed to process the order of priority in which to do them. He needed to find Eric. That was certain. The young man was born to deal with these kinds of situations and Max could really do with the help of more authorities right now. Deciding he needed to debrief the kitchen staff, Max gathered a few reliable people to follow him out and around the building toward the kitchen exit. When he met up with them, he could see Eric and Four were absent.

"They're still gone, then?" he questioned Clara. She affirmed with a nod. Disappointed to not have his right hand man, he gestured with his head "Which way were they heading?"

"I'm really not sure," Clara told him. "We were tending to Roland's body." It was then that Max realized that the women before him looked stricken and shocked. _Did someone tell me about Roland?_ He thought back but in all the chaos, he just couldn't recall.

"Alright," he turned to the men who had accompanied him outside "Take these two to the infirmary to get checked out. I need to find Eric."

 **. . . . .**

Maggie, Four and Eric had been in the room for several hours. Factionless men would come in to check on them regularly. They hadn't said much when they discovered the two conscious captors had unbound themselves, clearly not feeling threatened by them. Maggie spent most of her time watching over Eric. She had never seen him like this and found it difficult to turn away. As he lay there, for the most part he still had a slight frown on his face. It was as if the look never truly left him and it had Maggie wondering how he coped being so young and having the weight of the faction on his shoulders.

The door opened to reveal the very same man who appeared to be the leader of the ambush. He had a gun in his hands, and standing behind him were two more armed men. Maggie could feel her heartrate pick up. Before she could react, the leader pointed at Four.

"You're coming with us." Four looked back at Maggie, his shoulders tense. She simply looked at him, unsure what choice he could have.

"Now. Before I have to use this" this time gesturing to the gun he was holding. Four simply nodded and stood, following the men out the door. Maggie slumped at the sound of the door locking. She stood and walked over to the window to try and see if she could tell where they were taking Four but she was too short to even reach it. Feeling utterly helpless, Maggie went back over to Eric and sat beside him.

"Please wake up soon."

She lifted her hand to his face, tracing his deep frown lines with her fingertips, working her way up, across his forehead to stroke his hair gently. As her fingers worked their way through his slicked back locks, she noticed his face begin to relax some. She studied each feature of his face. He really could be considered attractive without that signature scowl he always wore but Maggie didn't want to contemplate that for long. This was the man who made everyone's lives miserable just by walking into a room. Thinking back to all the stories people had told her about him and the arrogance and cruelty he displayed right before her should be enough to stop her from wanting to see him open those steely blue eyes again. She really should just leave him there, fight her way to Four and run. She can't do that though. It wouldn't be kind. It wouldn't be right.

Even as she told herself this, Maggie had a suspicion that she is lying to herself about her reasons for staying there and watching over him. If she were being truly honest, she would say that she wanted Eric to be alright. She wanted him to wake up and tell her they would get out of this. She wanted his arrogance to reassure her right now but there he lay. He was the vulnerable one and it was up to Maggie to protect him.

 **. . . . .**

Max had searched throughout the compound and the surrounding area for Eric but he was nowhere to be found. Flustered and concerned, he made his way to the control room to see what Tris could find. All in all, Dauntless was working well to recover quickly from the attack. The engineers from Erudite had inspected the damage and Max had sent for volunteers from the other factions to help with bracing the structure and clearing the debris. With all the extra hands, they would soon be able to rebuild but for now, anyone not working on the structure was to stay out of the way.

The power had come back on thanks to Will. The only issue being that it had taken several hours due to the extensive damage and Will had needed more help that just the Pedrad brothers t help him. It had also meant that the cameras were down and logically, Max knew that there would be no surveillance to point out where Eric could be.

"Tris." He greeted as he entered the room. "What have you got for me?"

Tris looked over to him, pausing temporarily from what she was doing. "I have been able to re-establish surveillance to the compound and outer sectors. I'm pulling up footage from before the outage. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about the lost hours though." Max nodded and sighed, his hand rubbing the back of his head.

"Tris, I haven't been able to locate Eric anywhere." He started and Tris nodded, understanding forming on her face. He knew he didn't have to spell it out for her but decided to continue on anyway. "It is my understanding that Four and Maggie went with him. I'm sorry, but I just don't know where they could be."

Tris looked down, her chin quivering slightly. "Do you think the factionless could have..." she trailed off, unable to put her fears into words.

"It's a possibility that they are following a lead but have no way to communicate. They could have been captured... There is also the possibility that they could have been taken out." Max told her as honestly as he could. "We need to prepare ourselves for any possibility."

"I know." Tris agreed. "If they were killed, surely their bodies would be visible from the cameras. I have eyes all over the city again but I haven't noticed anything." Max admired her ability to remain hopeful. He would allow her to believe whatever she needed to keep herself together and finish her task.

"They could be fine. Like I said, let's prepare ourselves for any possibility. Tris..." he put a hand on her shoulder, gaining her full attention. "I care for them too. If they're out there, we'll find them." Tris nodded and Max decided to move the topic on for now. "How about footage from earlier in the day? Can you see how this happened without us being alerted? How did the factionless get in without notice?"

"There is no sign of them. It's like they knew every blind spot we have."

"So there is the likelihood they have an inside man. I've been wondering about it."

"Max," Tris began, her tone alerting him that he wasn't going to like what she was about to say.

"I know what you're thinking, Tris and I would advise you to stop right there. Eric is loyal. He didn't have anything to do with this. Hell, he was one of the people injured in the blasts!"

Tris knew better than to push the issue with Max "Ok. Eric is loyal. But there is still the possibility that we have a traitor in the compound. We need to work out who."

"Give me some time to work something out. I'll be in my office if you find anything."

"Ok." With that, Tris moved her focus once more to the monitors in front of her and Max turned and exited the room.

Max had been back in his office for over an hour. In that time the rubble had been completely cleared and the volunteers from outside the faction had returned to their homes. They would all be back once the building materials arrived in the morning. Max mused that things worked fast when everyone was motivated.

With Zeke free from assisting returning the power, he had been ordered to get the patrol crews together and coordinate a search for their missing three and to seek out the factionless responsible for the attack. Now more than ever, finding them was a priority and so, Max had begun looking over the files of every member of dauntless to determine who could be moved to patrolling detail. There were so many vital jobs in this faction but some things would have to slide. For now at least.

He was interrupted from his task by a tentative knock at his already open door.

"Ro?" he acknowledged, putting down his pen and the file he was working on. He stood from his chair and motioned for the young woman to come in. "What can I do for you? Please sit."

"Max," she hesitated. He noted the way she fidgeted with her jacket sleeves as she sat uncertainly at the edge of the chair.

"Is everything alright?" his voice was patient, showing an underlying kindness and concern. He could see she was at war with something and wasn't used to Ro being this way. Her usual breezy nature was missing and Max observed that it didn't suit her.

"I know you're aware that Maggie is missing."

"Yes, I have the patrol crews gearing up to search for her, Eric and Four."

"I know." She nodded .

"So what is it then?"

Ro let out a sharp breath, biding her time before continuing "I would like to enlist for the patrol crew. Maggie means a lot to me and I know I won't be able to focus on anything until I know she's home and safe."

Max couldn't help his lips from turning up slightly at the corners, remembering their conversation from the day she chose her career.

"As I recall, you said that you would rather jump off the chasm than go out on patrols." His reminder had her visibly grimacing.

"Yes, I did say that."

"Are you sure about this, Ro? I have to inform you that there is the likelihood that once you transfer, you won't be able to go back to your apprenticeship. We need to enlist as many as possible to the patrol crews so getting out once you're in will be difficult."

"I thought as much." She answered. "This is more important right now. I know it isn't my dream job but it's more necessary by far." Max could see this was the source of her internal conflict and couldn't help but admire her decision.

"Thank you for stepping up, Ro. If you're certain, I'll handle the paperwork now. I'll make sure you're with Zeke. He's a good trainer and is heading up the search. You'll find him in the armoury for the next half hour or so."

"Thank you, Max." Ro stood up to leave as instructed. Even though she was getting what she had asked for, the weight of her decision reflected on her face.

"You know," Max's voice stopped her from leaving the room. "Wars don't last forever. We'll get them. You'll be back to tattooing before you know it." He reassured her.

"It would be a dream to see the end of this war." She didn't really want to leave this room but without anything else to say, it was time to make good on her offer. "Bye Max."

"You never call me 'Sir'." He remarked offhandedly

"I didn't know it was a requirement."

"It isn't. I've just noticed you never have. Most people call me both Max and Sir.

"Well, if it gets me noticed, I'll call you whatever you want me to." She gave him a cheeky wink, earning a genuine laugh from Max.

"Stay safe out there."

 **. . . . .**

Eric began to stir, noticing his head was painful to a point he almost couldn't bear but he could feel cool soothing hands running through his hair, comforting him. When he opened his eyes, he was greeted with that pair of big brown eyes he was becoming increasingly captivated with.

"Welcome back." She told him, moving her hands away, unwilling to acknowledge what she had been doing.

"Now long was I out?" he sat up gingerly, his head pounding at the exertion, causing him to grimace.

"Careful. You've taken another knock to the head. You were unconscious for several hours." She told him, scooting back from him to create some distance. If she was trying to be subtle about it, she failed. Eric couldn't fathom why that bothered him.

"Four?"

"They took him a little while ago. I'm not sure where. How are you feeling?" Eric contemplated for a moment.

"I'm fine."

"I couldn't do much for you this time around, sorry. We just had to wait it out and hope you made it."

Eric could feel warmth flowing through his chest at the notion that Maggie had been worried about him. He didn't want to over think it. Not right now at least.

"Do you know where we are?"

"It took at least two hours drive to get here. The terrain was rough and Four and I were blindfolded. Our best guess is that we're out past Candor."

Thinking it over for a moment, Eric shrugged "There is a lot of marshland behind Candor, but some solid ground too. It would be isolated."

"Two of their guards will be here in three minutes." She continued, pointing to the door. "They have stuck to a tight schedule since we got here."

"You got all that in a few hours?" his doubt was palpable.

"Ok, it may have been more than a few hours. The two coming this time are the only ones who carry knives instead of guns."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

Eric looked over at her with a cocky smirk "Then I suggest we use that to our advantage."

"What? Make a move now?" she didn't share his confidence in the idea.

"It's our best chance. If you're right we either go now or wait until sometime tomorrow. Who knows what will happen by then."

"What about Four?"

"We'll find him on our way out." The nonchalant shrug did nothing to boost Maggie's confidence. "What?" he questioned, stepping closer to her, inching slowly forward until he was less than an inch away from her. "Are you afraid?" he murmured.

"It's reckless. We don't know anything about this building. We could be walking into a maze. And just because I caught a pattern with the guards doesn't mean anything! There could be a shitload of factionless out there that we don't know about." Before Maggie could go on with any more of her countless concerns, Eric reached up to push a lock of hair behind her ear and could see her breath catch. His eyes captivated by her own as they were once more alight in that way he always sought to bring out of her. He leaned down, his lips grazing her ear.

"Take a risk Maggie. See where it takes you." With that he stood back to his full height again to see her looking half dazed. He was pleased to have distracted her from her worries. Fear would do them no good in their escape plan.

He could hear the sounds of the door being unlocked. _What do you know._ He thought to himself _Three minutes!_ Smirking at this surprising woman before him, he strutted confidently to the door, beckoning Maggie to follow him.

"You ready?" he grinned. Maggie managed a small nod. It was all the confirmation he needed as he waited for the men to come through the door.


	9. Chapter 9

**A shorter one this time but it's packed full of action. I am a bit excited to upload it so it may not be super edited, sorry. I think it reads clearly enough though lol. I hope you like it! Thanks lovely favouriters, followers and reviewers. You guys keep me motivated xx**

 **Chapter 9**

Four had been taken to the adjoining building from where he had been held with Maggie and Eric. This one was also a small three by four metres with concrete flooring and two small windows, mirrored to face the opposite side to the previous one. He had been forced to sit in the lone chair in the room where the leader of the group proceeded to tie Four's wrists and ankles to the armrests and legs.

"You look like you carry some weight in dauntless." The man started his questioning with. Four simply looked straight ahead, unresponsive.

"What's your name, big guy?" he strolled slowly around the chair, each step deliberate and confident, like he was the king of the compound. Four didn't respond.

"Nothing? It's really not that big a deal. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." At that, he crouched down in front of Four's face in an attempt to make eye contact only to find Four staring straight through him. "I'm Edgar." Once again getting nothing from the stoic man before him, Edgar's frustrations mounted and he lashed out, hitting Four hard across the left side of his face. His head snapped to the side, his cheek stinging. Slowly, Four moved his face back to the front, eyes holding no emotion. He could take this. Hell, his own father had put him through worse on a daily basis.

On and on this went for the better part of two hours, Edgar asking Four questions, Four zoning out as if he weren't even there only to get smacked about and begin all over again. He could feel his cheek bleeding from one of the hits he'd taken, knowing a sizable cut had formed as well as a split lip, possible broken nose and a ringing ear. His entire face felt swollen and he was aching all over, his body beginning to scream at him to speak up but he wouldn't. He could never be so weak.

The questions themselves were nothing surprising, ranging from his own rank and role in Dauntless, who was the highest ranked of the three captives and information on what work around the city Dauntless had been involved in. He had asked after the personal information about Max and any other leaders. None of the inquiries had been unexpected from the man before him. That was until the latest question spoken from Edgar's lips.

"Tobias Eaton." Four worked his hardest not to respond. He hadn't heard anyone speak that name since he had transferred from Abnegation years ago. Internally, he flinched, both shocked and curious as to how his given name could be of any value to the factionless.

"Have you heard of him? Word is, he's a pretty big deal in dauntless now. If you give him up, this..." he gestured around the room and towards the binds on Four's wrists and ankles "...this will end. You help us find him, and we'll let you and your friends go."

Four's breathing was laboured, he didn't know how he could matter to these people. Could they be planning to use him against his father? That didn't make any sense. He had cut all ties to the abusive man the day he left. They had never spoken, nor had either tried to make contact with the other. No. That couldn't be why they were looking for him. But then what?

Throughout his inner turmoil, Edgar had noticed the subtle change in Four's posture and the look in his eyes.

"You know him don't you!" Edgar exclaimed, feeling like he was getting somewhere. "It's ok. Just tell me."

Four looked up and for the first time since being put in the room, he looked directly into Edgar's eyes as he told him "There is nobody in dauntless who goes by Tobias Eaton."

Before Edgar could respond, shots were fired outside the room and all hell broke loose.

 **. . . . .**

Eric felt confident. Why exactly was beyond him. If he thought about it logically, he was concussed, seeing double, and he was about to start a fight with only a girl he barely knew to back him up. Not to mention, Maggie's previous concerns were right. They didn't know how many enemy were there or where they were. Even if they were successful in fighting their way out, there was no guarantee they would find their way home. Despite all that, Eric had a feeling deep in his gut telling him he could do no wrong.

He looked over to Maggie, her big eyes watching him, wide and hesitant. He didn't want her fear to cause them to fail in their escape so he cockily winked at her, willing her to feel as good about this non-plan as he did. As the key sounded on the other side of the door, he watched as Maggie drew in a breath, collected herself and pushed down her fears. He saw her eyes change. It always amazed him when they did that. This time, he saw right in front of him that those big chocolate eyes went from large and terrified to cold and collected. They suddenly held no emotion and it was the confirmation he needed that she was ready to take their enemy on.

The door opened and before the first man had the chance to step through the threshold, Eric grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside. As Eric made his move, Maggie shot forward to do the same with the other guard. Before the first had the chance to respond, Eric held him by the head and snapped his neck.

Maggie was holding her own in her battle with the second man but Eric didn't want her wasting too much energy on her first opponent so he took the knife from the dead guard at his feet and swiftly jumped up, thrusting the blade into the other man's side. He then brought it up to slit his throat, earning an audible gasp from Maggie. He looked over to her to see her hands begin to shake, eyes big as saucers and her skin formed a sheen of sweat.

"Hey..." he took a step toward her and Maggie instinctively retreated. She was breathing shallowly and appeared to be fighting to stay present and conscious. As soon as her panic had formed, the broken woman before him visibly shook her arms out, as if to shake the panic out of her. She breathed in deeply and after exhaling, looked to Eric.

"Let's go." She hoped that the need to escape would be enough for her to dodge the inevitable questions Eric would bombard her with. He truly looked like he wanted to, with his gaze steadfast on her face. He could see what looked like shame play over her features as she willed him to let it drop. To her relief, Eric simply stooped down, retrieving a second knife and handed it to her.

Their fingers grazed each other and her previous panic attack was forgotten as a tingling sensation ran through her at the skin contact. Not wanting to be in this room any longer, Maggie led the way toward the door, poking her head around the corner of the door frame.

"How long until someone notices them missing?" Eric questioned.

"They usually did their checks every half hour. I'm not sure when they're expected back to wherever they came from." Eric stepped up beside Maggie, the two of them observing what awaited them outside that little room. It was dark out, making it difficult to see too much. What they noticed was that they were in a shipping container of sorts, converted into a room. The area outside was a large concrete block with several other small converted containers. They had no way of telling which one, if any, Four had been taken to without making a move to search for him.

"Stick by my side. No matter what." Was all Eric instructed before stepping tentatively out of the door. Maggie followed, searching around her as she stepped silently right by Eric's side. There were no people in sight between buildings but the pair carefully peeked around the corner of the first container, ensuring it was clear before rounding it completely. Eric walked over to a short step near one of those small windows and peeked in. Quickly, he dropped back down, looking to Maggie, indicating six people were inside. Maggie held up four fingers in question of her missing friend. Eric shook his head and the two continued on to the next room.

Before the had the chance to check if their path was clear, footsteps could be heard from behind them, effectively pushing them forward without the luxury of caution. As soon as they made their way around the corner, Eric knew it was a mistake as three men with guns were headed in their direction. They halted at the sight of the two escapees and pointed their weapons, shouting for backup. Glancing behind her, Maggie could see two more men rounding the side of the building they had just come from, and the sound of gunshots cracked through the silence. Alerted by the noise, the men in the first building they looked into burst out of the door.

With no time to think, Eric could see Maggie step out from his side, knife held up and quick as lightning, she threw it at one of the men in the path before them, killing him instantly. She then took off running in their direction. _Crazy, stupid..._ Eric needed to cover her, so he lifted his knife and threw it at the one he deemed most likely to shoot at Maggie first. His aim was accurate and the man went down. By that time, Maggie had reached the third man and leaped herself as high as she could, using the building beside her to propel herself forward. She kicked the man, hard, in the throat. Eric could hear the crunch of his oesophagus crushing at the force of the blow. Maggie reached for their weapons, handing half to Eric when he reached her. He grabbed the hilt of the blade he had thrown, pulling it from his victim.

The two had no time to look toward each other before more men rounded the corner. Maggie lifted her newly acquired gun and fired, covering Eric to move to the back side of the building. Once he was satisfied it was clear, he was able to cover for her so she was able to move to safety. As she reached him, he felt a plan forming.

"Sit tight here. I'm gonna come up behind these assholes. Catch them by surprise." Maggie nodded, handing him the third gun. He shook his head. "You keep it. I'll pick something up on the way. You good on ammo?" Maggie gave her supplies a once over.

"Yeah. Go." He patted her shoulder as he was about to leave. "Eric." He waited to hear her out. "Don't leave me hanging. Alright?" he just scoffed.

"You don't know me at all." And then he was gone.

He could hear the gunfire as he ran past the outer edge of shipping containers. He continued to look in windows, searching for Four as he went. The first row were all clear, leaving five more to check. Logically, Eric figured that every able bodied fighter would have been drawn out by now to assist in the gunfight but he wouldn't drop his guard. He needed to get around behind the men in order to help Maggie and hopefully get out of this alive.

As Eric was about to check yet another shipping container-turned-building, the door swung open to reveal the man who had led their ambush outside of the Dauntless compound. He roared as he leapt toward Eric, fists swinging but Eric's system was already spiked with adrenalin, giving him ample time to defend against the attack. Using the gun in his hands, Eric swung with all his might, connecting with the man's head with a resounding thwack. He was out cold before even hitting the ground. Eric unsheathed his knife as another came toward him, his life ending with the flick of a blade.

Eric entered the building, seeing Four tied to a chair in the centre of the room. His face battered, bruised and bleeding. Eric made quick work of cutting the binds keeping Four in place.

"You good to fight?"

Four stood, rubbing his wrists and getting a feel for being upright after the abuse he'd endured. "Yeah. Where's Maggie?"

"She's covering our asses. Now we're gonna cover hers." Knowing that was all the explanation Four needed, the two of them ran out of the room, picking up what weapons Edgar and his accomplice had, thankfully adding two more guns and a knife to the collection.

"This way." Eric took off to the left side of the complex, rounding on the remaining men. He could hear them still firing on her and took that as a sign she was still alright and fighting back. Sneaking up on the ones lagging behind in the fight, Eric and Four silently took the back men out, lowering their lifeless bodies to the ground. They continued on this way as long as they could before being detected.

Things were beginning to look up as Eric and Four moved to round the final corner. Only three men were left standing and Eric liked those odds. Getting cocky, Eric made his move, not looking around as thoroughly as he should have. Without warning, one final man lunged out the door nearby, tackling Eric to the ground. The action flushed Maggie out of her secure spot as she ran in to help. His attacker got a few good hits in before Eric was able to flip him over, gaining the upper hand.

Four took down one of the other remaining men, but there was one far enough away from the fist fights unravelling before him. He brought up his weapon, aiming it at Eric's head. As he squeezed the trigger, Maggie gave a shriek, leaping out to shield her leader from harm. The bullet caught the edge of her leg. Eric leapt up, pointing his gun toward the attacker, killing him in one shot while Four took care of the remaining enemy.

Eric ran to Maggie who had dropped to the ground, clutching her leg. She was bleeding heavily, clearly in a world of pain.

"Are you alright?" Eric felt foolish asking such a question when he clearly saw she wasn't. He didn't know what else to say, however.

"Yeah. It's just clipped me on the outside. It should be alright. Just hurts like a bitch." Her skin was taking on a sallow look, shock beginning to set in. Eric turned to Four.

"The one who was in with you, I didn't kill him, just knocked him out. I don't know how long till he comes to. We'll need to make a move to get out of here before that." He stood up to his full height, looking around. Being so dark, he didn't really know what he was looking out for.

"We'll need supplies, a vehicle." Four pointed out.

"Alright, stay with her," Eric pointed to Maggie "I'll get us some wheels."

As Eric took off running, he noted Four putting his jacket around Maggie's shoulders. Knowing he'd take care of her, Eric felt more comfortable to find them a way out of this place. As he was running past the first small building he had looked into earlier, he decided to step in. If there were that many of them hanging around in the small room, there was the slight hope that they at least had some water and maybe food with them. Eric hadn't eaten for almost a day and he was sure Maggie and Four weren't kept fed in the time he was unconscious. As he scrummaged around the dark quarters, he stumbled upon a couple canteens of water and a stack of granola bars.

 _This will have to do._ He thought to himself as he grabbed the items, running from the room. Thinking back to the firefight, Eric didn't notice any vehicles on the side he had run around so he headed in the opposite direction. As he rounded the final corner, he was greeted with the sweet sight of a service truck and a small jeep. Sprinting over, he flung the door of the jeep open, searching for the keys. _Bingo!_ He cheered internally, finding the keys left in the ignition. At that sight, Eric spun on his heel and took off toward where he had left Maggie and Four.

"I got us water, a bit of food and found a jeep to get us home." Eric informed them, moving to Maggie to help her up. He reached down, holding her under the arms and lifted her gently to her feet. She took all of her weight on her uninjured left leg and worked to steady herself. Eric lifted her right arm and slung it over his shoulder, taking as much of her weight as she would allow him to and guided her to the awaiting jeep.

"Gather as many weapons as you can carry." Eric ordered Four "We don't want them in any other factionless hands." Four stooped down every time he came across a body, taking away their guns and knives. It was a steady trip to the jeep, although Maggie was making pretty good time for someone with a bullet wound in the leg.

"You're looking pretty Dauntless right now, Ivor." Eric smiled down at her. She gave a small giggle and it was a glorious sound.

"I'm sure I look like hell." Maggie returned "The three of us are a sorry sight, truth be told."

"Yeah, we've been through the ringer." Four commented, stepping forward to open the door for Eric to ease Maggie in. "We'll be back home soon to get that leg looked at."

"And you." Maggie told Four, looking over his beaten face. "You need to get checked out. Your face is pretty banged up. You as well." This time her statement was pointed toward Eric.

"Hey, I'm alright." Eric argued "I stopped seeing double about five minutes ago so I'm good."

"I'll take that as my cue do drive." Four stated dryly as he rounded the Jeep to get in behind the wheel. Eric didn't argue, climbing in the back beside Maggie. He reached to the front seat, feeling around in the dark for a canteen and handed it to her.

"Here." He whispered, bringing the water up to her lips. She gratefully sipped the liquid, not realizing how dry her throat had gotten until feeling the water go down. She looked over to the man beside her, feeling safe for the first time since the attacks began. She gave him a small grateful smile as Four started up the engine and made tracks away from their brief prison.

Seeing the gleam of city lights up ahead, Maggie slumped back in the seat as she felt the distance grow between them and the compound. She was feeling weak and tired but didn't want to show it. Eric was perceptive, however and noticed the change in her posture. He leaned over her to take a look at her wound. There wasn't much he could see with the mess of ripped fabric in the way.

"It's fine. Just a graze really. It'll bruise up something shocking and I'll have to get stitches when we get back but that's all." Her voice was weak with fatigue so Eric got himself comfortable in his own seat before pulling her back to lean against his shoulder. She gave a small contented sigh as she nestled into his side, closing her eyes.

 **. . . . .**

Tris and Christina waited in the garage area that the patrol trucks would return to. Tris was pacing back and forth, becoming more and more agitated the later it got. It was almost dark and the patrols would be returning soon as searching in the dark was both useless and dangerous. When Zeke's truck returned, Tris ran up to the door, watching Ro slide out after Brad. Jason and Zeke descended from the other side and rounded the vehicle.

"Anything?" Tris already knew the answer but needed to hear it confirmed.

"I'm sorry Tris." Zeke walked up to her, putting his arms around her shoulders as Ro stroked her hair. "I haven't heard any word from Uriah or Will, or any of the other crews either. They would have let me know if they'd seen anything."

They waited until B crew arrived and Uri and Will joined the small huddle of people. Tris could feel tears threatening to fall but she held them in.

"I hate the thought of him out there through the night, you know?" Tris voiced a small part of her concerns to her friends.

"He'll be alright. He's got Maggie and Eric with him." Zeke attempted to comfort her.

"I know Four and Maggie will look out for each other. It's Eric I don't trust. He'd as soon leave them for dead if it meant saving his own life."

"Hey, I know you don't like Eric, and he hasn't really given you reason to trust him, but I know the guy a little. He wouldn't leave them behind. He's leader for a reason." Zeke's attempts to comfort Tris were in vain and he knew it. He needed to try anyway – this was his best friend's girl and she was hurting.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep alone tonight." Ro piped up.

"Me either." Tris agreed, looking toward the group.

"How about we all stay at my place?" Zeke offered up to everyone. "There is plenty of room and we can help keep each other positive."

Ro and Tris looked toward Zeke gratefully as they headed toward his apartment. "We'll find them tomorrow. They'll be holed up somewhere cosy for the night before making their way home. You just wait."

 **. . . . .**

As Maggie rested on Eric's solid shoulder, the pull of sleep grew stronger. Without warning, Maggie was jolted awake by Four's loud swearing. The jeep then began to roll over and over on itself and Eric wrapped his right arm tightly around Maggie while bracing himself with his left as the vehicle swayed and turned. By the time it had finally come to a stop, the three of them were crumpled on the roof of the jeep, which was now upside down.

"Fuck!" Eric growled out, trying to get out of his awkward position. "Maggie? You ok?" he jostled the woman in his arms and she looked up at him and nodded.

"I think I'm alright. What the fuck happened? Four? Four are you hurt?"

Four groaned from the front, running his hand over his face. "We hit a hole in the ground back there. I just completely lost control. You guys sure you're alright?"

The two in the back affirmed before the trio crawled to get out of the jeep. Eric gathered the food and canteens he could see as well as a knife each for them. Four leaned back in for some of the guns.

"Hopefully we'll get the rest of those back before those factionless assholes can find them." Four told them as he handed the guns out. "I guess we walk from here."

"It's got to be at least two days on foot." Maggie thought out loud. "Maybe we should get away from the vehicle until we can't go any further, then bunker down for a few hours. None of us have had any rest in almost a day."

"Sounds good." Eric agreed, pointing toward and area ahead that was full of trees. "That should be a good place to stay hidden for a while."

Eric moved in beside Maggie, taking her weight again as they began to make their long trek home on foot.


	10. Chapter 10

**So I'm back for another instalment. I didn't have much in the way of a plan for this one before I wrote it and I think it shows. Eric is a bit out of character but one of them needs to make progress and I just don't see Maggie as being ready yet. On another note, I had a dream last night that Jai Courtney was standing in front of me shirtless. I may have licked his muscles. What would you guys have done in the same situation?**

 **Chapter 10**

It took about an hour and a half of trudging along rough ground and going around the marsh to make it to the heavily forested area. Maggie's leg was in bad shape to begin with but by the time they got far enough into the tree-line to stay hidden, she was finding it difficult to stand upright. A sharp pain shot up from her leg to the side of her body with every step she took. Not wanting to hold the group back, Maggie did her best to hide her suffering and she felt that she had succeeded.

They got deeper into the trees and felt comfortable that they would be hidden enough to get some rest.

"This looks like a good enough spot. At least the nights aren't too cold just yet. We should get away with not needing a fire." Eric told them.

The three of them sat in a circle and Eric distributed some of the granola bars he had picked up along with sharing around a canteen of water. They sat in silence, eating sparingly.

When Maggie felt she had eaten enough to keep her strength up, she used her acquired knife and cut at the fabric of her black jeans that was ripped around the site of her gunshot graze. In the limited light, she could see the skin around the wound was a deep shade of purple. The bruise extended further than the hole in her trousers was showing. The graze itself was a meaty mess. The bullet had indeed grazed the outside of her leg, however, it was a deep graze and there was a flap of skin detached from one side. Logically, Maggie knew that she would need medical attention and soon if she wanted to avoid a serious blood infection.

"How does it look?" Four inquired, moving over to get a better look. The corners of his mouth turned down at the sight of it.

"It's alright, nothing a beer couldn't fix." Maggie started. "We don't have much here to clean or dress it with. We'll just have to get our asses home as soon as we can."

Four smiled. "I could go for a beer myself. Anything really, except for a Uri special." Maggie giggled.

"After the last time, I don't think I could stomach any more of those for a while."

Four nodded. "Alright, as soon as we get home and get your leg patched up, we'll go for a beer."

"I am in." Maggie agreed. "You two get some rest. I'll take first watch." Eric stood up, shaking his head.

"No. I spent most of the day out. I'm not tired yet. I'll wake you in a few hours to either take over or keep moving." If Maggie were to think too closely, she would think Eric seemed a bit touchy all of a sudden. She was feeling a little too tired to care, though so she set up a small space to sleep, before curling up and closing her eyes.

 **. . . . .**

 _The blood was pooling all throughout the living room that Maggie just couldn't seem to escape. She looked at the unseeing eyes of her family before her. They continued to bleed as she sat there helplessly. This time there was another figure, kneeling on the floor with a knife to their throat. As Maggie looked closer, she could see it was her. The mirror image of herself looking up with pure terror in her eyes. Maggie looked up at the wielder of the knife. As she dragged her eyes from the blade, up the tattooed, muscular arms to see the cold emotionless face of Eric and she gasped in recognition as he sliced with the blade across her throat._

Maggie sat up gasping. She struggled to catch her breath as the nightmare lingered in her thoughts. As she ran a hand through her mussed locks, she was aware of eyes on her. Eric was turned, facing her direction and watching her intently as she tried to regain her composure. Without a word, he chucked a canteen at Maggie which she gratefully accepted, taking several large glugs before remembering they needed to use it sparingly.

Once her heartrate was under control again, Maggie stood up from the forest floor and moved to sit next to Eric. He had found a spot on a large rock, free from moss so he could keep dry. He moved to the side, making room for her to sit next to him.

They sat in silence for a while. How long, Maggie wasn't sure. She appreciated that for a second time in less than twenty-four hours, Eric didn't press her for answers concerning her panicked behaviour. They simply looked around them, keeping watch as the time dragged on.

"You should get some rest." Maggie suggested to the man beside her. "I won't be able to sleep anymore tonight." Eric nodded, stood up and went to the spot on the ground that Maggie had previously occupied. He lay on his back, looking up at the canopy above him.

"Do you get them often? The nightmares?"

She took a deep breath. Why would he want to know other than to use the knowledge against her later?

"It's fine. You don't have to tell me." He sighed, placing an arm over his eyes, the other hand resting on his stomach. They remained like this for a log while, neither speaking or moving. Maggie could tell by the way Eric was breathing that he was still awake. She looked up, trying to see the stars through the trees but it was impossible. Not knowing why she felt compelled to give him this information, just knowing that she wanted to in that moment, she took a breath and began to speak.

"I used to get them every night. Since I was seven and saw..." she closed her eyes, but thought better of it when the image of Eric, knife in hand, floated across her vision. "After about a year, I had all but give up on ever being able to sleep well again. It did get better after a while. I just get them every few months now..." she began to whisper the last part "or when something triggers the memories."

Eric seemed to understand what she meant by her last statement. "So when we were trying to get out of that room?"

"There were some strong similarities, yeah." Eric moved his arm from his eyes. He looked at her intently.

"You know, you're going to have to find a way to get past it. You chose to be dauntless. Every time you go out on patrols, there is the chance of seeing something to trigger those memories."

Maggie closed her eyes, knowing rolling them wouldn't be appreciated. What was she expecting from Eric? Sympathy? The notion was ridiculous and she knew it.

"Yes. I'm working on it." She agreed, instead. "It didn't take me that long to pull myself together if you remember."

"Lucky for us, there weren't any other enemies in the room at the time." She knew he was right but her pride was wounded nevertheless. She decided not to respond and silently kept watch. It was half an hour later when Eric sighed audibly, dragging himself up from the ground. He moved over to sit back down next to Maggie on the rock.

"Should we wake Four? Get moving?" Maggie inquired, refusing to look at Eric as she spoke.

"Let him have a while longer. It's still too dark to move easily." Maggie couldn't help the discomfort she was feeling sitting next to Eric. She thought over their previous interactions and was reminded that he was in fact, an asshole. She didn't want to have to speak to him anymore so she got up and wandered away from their camp to relieve herself. When she returned, Eric watched her move around as she looked for somewhere away from him to sit down.

"You're going to have to learn not to take everything so personally too. I'm just trying to help you be a better soldier."

She laughed at that. "That might be true, sir, but your methods need a lot of work! I meant it when I said nobody wants to go into battle with you. You have no tact and every time you open your mouth, you're creating more enemies."

"I've gotten by just fine being the way I am."

"You could do so much better than just 'getting by' if you tried a little harder to not be such an asshole." As soon as the words left her mouth, Maggie knew she'd made a mistake. Eric stood up and marched over to her, towering above her. She decided to take a chance and throw his previous words back at him. "You should stop taking things so personally too. I'm just trying to help you be a better leader."

"And what would you know about being a leader? The last man you saw lead this faction died before you could learn anything from him."

"Fuck you!" Maggie's voice had a deathly calm ring to it as she bore holes into him with her eyes. Then she stood up, standing toe to toe with Eric, not wanting to back down again. "You know what, how about we concentrate on getting home so we can go back to staying the hell away from each other. The sooner I never have to look at you again, the better."

Eric didn't respond as Maggie gently shook Four awake and gathered their few belongings. Once Four was up, she led the way, hobbling back toward the city.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie had barely spoken all day. The only things the came out of her mouth were directed toward Four and Eric resented the fact that he was feeling guilty about it. Really, he knew he had once again crossed the line bringing Thorin's fate into their argument. He had wanted to hurt her and when he succeeded, he felt like the worst kind of asshole. She had been right in everything she had said and he knew it. Looking at her now, whispering quietly to Four, smiling at him and making all kinds of plans with him and their little circle was eating away at Eric.

For some reason, her opinions found their way into his very being and tore away at him from the inside. If only he could be someone entirely different around her, he might just be able to tell her how much he had looked up to her father. How he had grieved for the longest time when he had learned of the man's demise. How every night when he was a child, he wouldn't be able to go to sleep until he made a silent wish that the young girl who had witnessed the deaths of her entire family would find peace. That somehow, she would be alright. He could never give voice to those truths, however. It went against everything he had worked to become. It was killing Eric to learn that he could have gone down a different path and possibly had better things to show for it.

But he was too proud. And now, he had to watch as this enigmatic young woman grew strong bonds with Four of all people while not giving Eric a second thought. Once again, they were making plans, this time it wasn't just one beer they were craving but all the booze in the pub back at the compound. They were craving the cooking that Roland had provided, then giving the fallen man a moment of silence to remember him.

 _I wonder if anyone will grieve me when I'm gone._ He knew the answer to that question. He had severed ties with his own family and never looked back. It wasn't that they were bad people and they had always treated Eric well and supported his plans. They were just so different to him. He had exactly one friend in dauntless. If he could call Max a friend. He was his boss and the only person Eric took the time to speak to civilly. Eric came to the realization that if things turned bad again while they were out here, if they didn't make it back, dauntless would miss Maggie. They would be lost without Four as well. Everyone liked wonder boy for whatever the fuck reason. He had the distinct feeling that everyone would let out a collective sigh of relief if Eric were to fall. He could feel his chest tighten at the epiphany. He really was a piece of shit.

 **. . . . .**

After a full day trekking through forest, wasteland and ruins, the outskirts of the city were within their reach. There had been no sighting of the factionless since they left their compound and Maggie suspected that with all the weapons they were armed with, they would at least be able to put up a decent fight against them. Her leg was getting worst the longer they were out there. She had to stop to relieve herself lot long ago and she had noticed the tell-tale signs of an infection making its way to her bloodstream. She wasn't sure how much time she had left before things got desperate. Another night out and away from medical attention could prove fatal for the young woman. She hadn't said anything to her companions about it. There was nothing they would be able to do to help her anyway and the added worry would only cause mistakes to be made. So she had continued limping along, sometimes with the help of Four. She would insist she could go alone whenever he looked tired. She flat-out refused any help from Eric – the thought of him touching her sent a chill up her spine.

As they approached the true outskirts of Chicago were the abandoned buildings stood, half crumbled, they knew it to be another three hour walk to Candor, given their current pace. Dusk was upon them and soon, their visibility would be low. Maggie knew that all patrol units would be heading back to the dauntless compound by now so there was no chance of coming across them until morning.

"Let's find shelter in one of these buildings. Get some sleep and make our way to Candor in the morning." Eric suggested, making his way to a half crumbled down skyscraper. Four began to wordlessly follow when Maggie piped up.

"No. We're so close to Candor. We should keep going. We'll be back at Dauntless in no time." The two men looked at each other before Four turned around to reason with Maggie.

"It's getting dark, we have no idea where the factionless could be hiding. They'll see us and attack before we get the chance to defend ourselves."

Maggie looked at him desperately. "Is there any chance the cameras reach out this far?" Four gave a chuckle but his heart wasn't in it.

"Not out here, no. The buildings were deemed too run down and unsafe for anyone to take shelter in."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Did anyone give the factionless that memo? I'm sure they don't give a shit what is deemed safe if it provides them a hiding spot from us!"

"As soon as we're back, I'll arrange for more widespread surveillance." Eric piped up from his spot near the building's entrance. "Right after we send a party out to the compound out there. Search it thoroughly for any signs of where the rest of them can be." This seemed to pacify Maggie for the time being but she was concerned about her chances of making it back to the compound in the morning. Her leg was only getting worse.

She tentatively followed Eric and Four as they made their way through the entryway. Four left to do a sweep of the building, making sure the three of them would be safe enough there for the night. Maggie felt less than comfortable at being alone with Eric so soon after their spat the night before. He sat down, handing her the last canteen with any water in it. Begrudgingly, she took a sip before handing it back to him.

Eric watched her for a few minutes as she actively avoided looking at him. After he observed her counting the ceiling tiles for a second time, he decided to extend an olive branch.

"You know, I've never been great with people. Not even when I was a kid." Maggie stiffened as his voice broke through the silence. "I really don't handle it well when my weaknesses get called out."

She didn't respond, just simply sat there, stiffly and clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

"I think, maybe, you might have had a few good points last night." When Maggie still didn't say anything, Eric reached over, lifting her chin with his finger so she would at least look at him. "What I'm trying to say, Maggie, is that I'm sorry. I know what I said about your Father was out of line and it just proved how right you have been with everything you've said."

"That's very...big...of you." Maggie conceded.

"I was wondering." He began, now that he finally had her attention. "What advice you had. About leadership. And people."

"Leadership and people, huh?" Maggie drew her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Maybe a good start would be to listen when you're given helpful suggestions instead of doing everything in your power to cut the person down."

Eric stared at the floor, the shame he had been feeling all day growing stronger again. He knew if Maggie were to take him seriously, he would have to give her something.

"You know, my whole life, I wanted to be just like your Dad. As soon as I could read, I was learning what I could about everything he'd done. All the people he saved. Everything books could tell me. The day I found out he'd been killed was the day I lost hope. I grieved more for your father than I probably would have done for my own." His confession was spoken so softly that Maggie had to strain to hear.

"That's an awful way to feel about your own family." Although there was no malice or spite in her words.

"Every time you tell me I'm falling short of how Thorin ran things and about the kind of man he was, I don't think you know how much it affects me. It never occurred to me before meeting you that he would be any different to how I am."

"You don't need to be cruel to be brave. You don't need to be ruthless to be a good leader. Sure, sometimes the situation calls for it but I'll bet that in all the books you read, there was no mention to how my father used to devote hours of his time to help the abnegation with their charity work. Or how he would take my mother back to Amity every month and partake in all their peace rituals to try and see things from their perspective. He was a great leader because he cared so much about every person he was protecting. Not just the dauntless but everybody. That's why he was so loved. That's why he had such respect amongst the city."

"I don't think I can be that man, Maggie." He confessed. Feeling more vulnerable than he ever had before.

"You don't have to be the same as my father to be a good man. Look at Max. He is doing the best he can and has never resorted to cruelty. You just need to find a way to lead without resorting to it." Eric just stared at her, fixated by those eyes. He couldn't escape them and the harder he tried to, the more they drew him in. "I'm sorry too, Eric. I know I have high expectations and I haven't been easy on you since we met. How about we just stay out of each other's way from now on? We can figure our own shit out."

Eric didn't want that. He had seen her as she truly was when she was with her friends. He had watched her from the shadows and couldn't bear the thought of never being able to bring that light into her eyes. He knew he meant very little to her, but she had grown to mean something to him. What exactly, he wasn't sure but he needed to be around her to discover what it was.

The talk had gotten her to forgive him but he still felt the huge rift between them and he couldn't figure out a way to close the gap or why in hell he wanted to.

 **. . . . .**

When Eric woke up to the early light of the sun rising the following morning, something didn't feel right. He sat up and his attention was quickly drawn to Maggie. It was a relatively warm morning already but there she lay, shivering violently. Her skin had been drained of colour and a layer of sweat had formed all over.

"Maggie?" he moved over to her, touching his hand to her forehead. It didn't take a genius to tell she was running a fever. Without wasting time, he shook Four awake. "Maggie's sick, we need to get her to help. Run to Candor, try to flag down any attention through the cameras on the way. We can't move her so bring someone back here. Hurry!" Four didn't waste time arguing or waiting until he was awake enough to run in a straight line, he just followed his orders. He was the faster runner of the two men and if he kept a good pace, he could get to Candor in just over an hour. If the control room workers were doing their job and alerted the authorities as soon as they spotted him, he might be met with a patrol truck sooner than that.

With that knowledge in mind, Four took paths through the streets that he knew there were cameras watching. He just hoped dauntless had recovered enough from the attacks that the cameras would be up and running.

He had lost track of how long he had been running for. He worked hard to keep up his pace but with his energy stores depleted from living on nothing but granola bars and a little water, he had to rely on sheer will to get him there. After what felt like an age, Four could hear the rumblings of a truck and took off in the direction the beautiful sound was coming from.

He ran out in front of the truck which screeched to a halt and Zeke jumped out from behind the wheel.

"Boy are you a sight for sore eyes!" Four exclaimed while the men gave each other a quick, gruff hug.

"Is it just you?" Zeke looked worried. He didn't even bother to hide it.

"No, but you need to come with me. Maggie is in pretty bad shape."

 **. . . . .**

Maggie opened her eyes to discover she was in the bright, clinical room of the infirmary. There was a drip connected to her arm, rehydrating her she assumed. She lifted the sheet covering her leg to see that it had been stitched up and the bruise was beginning to fade.

"Well its about time you woke up! I've been waiting to hear your explanation of a few things!"

"Ro!" Maggie was elated to see her tiny friend was alright after the attacks. She jumped up, ignoring the pull of the IV and wrapped her in an embrace. "I'm so glad you're alright." She whispered, a tear escaping the corner of her eye.

"You as well. We didn't know where the hell you'd gone Maggie! And then to see Eric carry you out of that building looking lifeless after being missing for days! I have never been so afraid!"

"I know, I'm so sorry. We shouldn't have taken off after the factionless like that without backup or anything to defend ourselves with." They sat there, holding each other for a moment. "What about Four and Eric? Are they alright?"

Ro sighed. "Yes they're fine. They got back, had something to eat and left again."

"What? Why?"

"Max wanted them to take him out to where you had been held captive. See what they could find there. They should be back before dark."

"Yeah, Eric said that they would have to go out there again." Maggie remembered out loud.

"Speaking of Eric, he carried you all the way from the truck to here by himself. He wouldn't let anybody touch you until the doctor was able to calm him down. He also came in here to check on you before he left."

"That's weird." Maggie thought out loud.

"Did something happen between the two of you while you were gone?" Maggie thought back over the last couple of days.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. We had another argument actually."

Ro scoffed. "When do you two not get into an argument?"

"Then we sort of called a truce. That's it."

"Well that clarifies nothing! He was really worried about you."

Maggie lay her head on Ro's shoulder as the two girls lay back on the small infirmary cot. "Your guess is as good as mine, Ro." She was now more than ready to change the topic but was feeling too tired to keep her eyes open any longer. "Will you stay while I sleep?"

Ro wrapped her arm around Maggie. "Sure, M. I'll be right here. When you wake up, I'll tell you all about the progress I made with Max while you were away."

Maggie smiled. "Oh yeah? How about you tell me now. I'll stay awake for that story." And without need of more encouragement, Ro launched into her now exaggerated version of the one conversation she had with Max over the past few days, earning genuine smiles from her friend.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry this one is on the shorter side guys, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I'll try to go back to bigger chapters again asap. Much love to all who have read, reviewed, liked and/or followed. You guys are awesome xx**

 **Chapter 11**

Eric had gone with Four, Max, Zeke and most of the patrol crews to the compound that the factionless had held them captive. For the entire trip back out there, Eric would sight something familiar from their trek the previous day and be reminded of Maggie back at Dauntless. He didn't know how she was recovering and that bothered him. He should have listened to her the night before when she told them to keep going to Candor. If he had, she would be in much better shape right now.

"You're sure she's alright? Nothing happened to her while I was gone?" Eric was interrupted from his own guilt by Four's. He had been grilling Zeke about Tris since they stepped into the truck.

"She wasn't hurt. Just worried about you. We all were." Four's face remained bothered although for a different reason now.

"You know there'll be hell to pay when I get back. I didn't even get the chance to see her before we had to leave again."

Zeke laughed, knowing all too well where the wrath of Tris could get you. "Yeah, Man, I don't envy you that reunion!" Zeke clasped Four on the shoulder. "She won't stay mad for long. Besides, Max has made sure to keep her busy in the control room. It would have fallen apart if she had disappeared along with you."

Again, Eric was reminded of how skewed his priorities had been all this time, having no one in his life who might be concerned for him. He chose to stay silent for the trip, needing to focus so that they could learn everything they could and get the hell out of there. Eric figured no factionless would be left out there, but on the off chance they hadn't run, he needed to have his wits about him.

Max sat beside Eric in the truck and was watching him now.

"What is it?" Eric inquired of the older man.

"You doing alright? You don't seem yourself."

"Yeah," Eric tried to explain away his current demeanour. "just been a long few days."

Max nodded, scrutinizing his young friend "Once we get back, the three of you are having some time off." He held his hand up as Eric went to protest "No arguments. I'm ordering it. At least a week." _Great!_ Eric thought to himself. _How will I keep my mind off her now?_

The truck closed in on the area of the compound and Eric directed the driver to adjust his course a little. Once the trucks reached their destination and were lined up on the outside of the fence, Eric could feel his adrenalin begin to flow through his body. _Come on out you sons of bitches! Let's do this._

The place looked empty but that didn't stop the dauntless men from leaving their trucks with caution, all heavily armed with guns, knives and hand grenades. Eric lived for this shit and he couldn't help but hope for a fight.

As they marched through the place, they found nothing. No bodies littering the ground, only blood and bullet shells were left behind. As they went through each shipping container building, each space was left bare. No furniture, no papers or plans. No sign of where they could have gone.

"It would have taken a lot of men to clear out all those bodies and their stuff in a day and a half." Four said to Eric. "How many do you think there are?"

Eric's arms were crossed over his chest. He had wondered the same thing. "I can't wait to find out."

"I for one, don't want to wait until they attack us at home again." Four stated in hushed tones, mirroring Eric's posture. Eric could see the whole ordeal had struck a cord with Four and he motioned toward him.

"Come with me." Four followed Eric to the back of one of the other trucks that had been in their convoy. He started to tell him his plans as he opened the back of the truck. "I was thinking before we left that this place could use some surveillance. I figured it would probably be empty by now but there's no harm in watching for them to return, right?" Four gave him a half smile, finding himself on the same page.

"I'll set these up now." And he started gathering everything he would need to set up cameras around the compound.

As he was working, Four thought back to one of his hushed conversions with Maggie on their walk home. It had been earlier in the day and he could tell she was troubled. Eric had to have goaded her again. He knew just what to say to turn Maggie from the easy-going, caring girl Four had befriended into a fiery she-beast from the pits of the underworld. He didn't want her to go into her dark place when they had such a long journey ahead of them so he decided to distract her with his own conundrum. He knew he trusted Maggie so her opinion would go a long way.

"Maggie, how long have you known Max?" he had started with when they had created enough distance from Eric. She looked over at him, perplexed by where this question could have come from.

"I met him when I was six – he was in leadership training under my father. After Dad died, Max found a family to take care of me. He checked in on us regularly to make sure I was alright."

Four mulled that over for a moment. "So, you trust him? You think he's a good man?"

"Yes." She said simply. When she had noticed Four's troubled face, she felt the need to justify her statement. "He has always done right by me. Sure he's not perfect, no one is, but I know he cares for the faction. Does this have to do with their questioning yesterday?"

Damn, she was perceptive. He nodded. She didn't pry further and he was grateful for that. It was also the end of that particular conversation and now, as Four worked on setting up the cameras around the compound, he decided to trust Maggie's judgement and open up to Max about who those men had been looking for. It might be the key to ending this war.

 **. . . . .**

When the men had returned home again, Four requested to see Max in his office. Still not entirely sure about Eric, he made the request when the burly man was out of earshot but when Four entered Max's office fifteen minutes later, the two of them sat there. Max on one side of the desk, Eric in a chair seated beside an empty one that Max motioned Four to occupy. He breathed deeply and had to remind himself that Maggie trusted Max and Max trusted Eric.

"What can we help you with, son?" Max inquired when Four hadn't spoken after a while.

"When we were captured, I was taken in for questioning." He looked at Max, who nodded. This didn't appear to be news to him so Eric must have told him already. "They asked a lot of generic questions about dauntless, nothing noteworthy, until..." he stopped, uncomfortable opening up about this in front of Eric. He just watched silently, his face impassive as ever, as Max encouraged him to continue. Again, Four took a breath before continuing. "they said they were looking for Tobias Eaton."

Max leaned forward "Did they know who you were when they ambushed the three of you?"

"No." Four shook his head "they said they would let the three of us go if I led them to Tobias."

"Did they say what they wanted with you?" Eric wanted to know.

"No. They only started asking about me right before the first shots were fired outside." At that, Four shifted in his chair, wanting to leave. He needed to see Tris. It had been long enough. "That's all I know, but I thought it might be important."

Max stood up, extending his hand for Four to shake "Thank you, it's helpful information to have. Let's all think on it for a couple days. We'll have a meeting then to decide what to do with it."

"Thank you, Sir." Four said, shaking his hand. He nodded at Eric and left the room.

After Four was gone, Eric leaned forward on his chair, his hands clasped before him, elbows rested on his knees. "What do you think?"

"I think it's probably our best bet at getting an upper hand on the factionless. Hell its all we've got!"

"You know he'll have figured that out too? Being the wonder boy that he is, he'll act on it."

"You want to keep an eye on him? Make sure he doesn't do anything to get himself killed."

Eric gave a humourless laugh "We're not exactly friends."

"Yeah, well, we've lost a lot of people recently. We need to plan this shit out. Make sure he's willing to wait until we come up with a plan." Max's tone showed that this wasn't up for argument so Eric grumbled his agreement before leaving the office. He remembered Four talking to Maggie about getting drinks when they made it home so he might as well start his babysitting detail there.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie had been in the infirmary for most of the day but thanks to the brilliant minds of Erudite, their healing serums had Maggie good as new in a few short hours and she was discharged. She was torn between the call of her comfortable bed and a cold, thirst quenching beer. With Ro bouncing off the walls enthusiastically, she knew sleep would have to wait. At least Max had ordered her to take a week off work so she would have some time to rest.

One thing, however, could not wait. As soon as Maggie stepped foot into her own living space, the shower practically sung for her to step into it. She made quick work of stripping off the filthy clothes she had been wearing for days and stepped under the hot stream of water. She actually moaned at the feeling of cleaning herself. She took her time, washing her filthy hair and body, examining the small scar left from her gunshot graze. The healing serum was truly amazing and she was grateful to not have to feel that pain anymore.

Once clean and dressed, Maggie and Ro walked to the pub, arms linked the entire way. Maggie had to admit, she was bursting on the inside knowing she would see her friends again. She was so grateful they were all unharmed in the attack. As they arrived, she could see Zeke, Uriah, Will and Christina already waiting for them. They all jumped up, taking turns to hug Maggie and welcome her home. She had apparently seen the boys as they had picked her up from the building she had been holed up in but she had been far too out of it to remember.

"Where are Four and Tris?" she asked, looking around. Uriah laughed.

"Don't expect them for a while, M. They are...catching up alone before they come out." He winked at her.

"Enough explanation needed." She quipped.

After a round with the group, Maggie saw Eric walk into the pub. He made his way to his usual seat at the bar. Maggie excused herself from the group and wandered over to him. He hadn't ordered a drink yet and she motioned to the man behind the bar for two drinks as she slid into the seat next to him. Eric looked up at her as their drinks were placed in front of them.

She didn't really know what to do as she gave him an awkward smile and he just continued to stare at her so she drank up instead. It relieved her to see him do the same shortly after and for a time, they just sat there, drinking silently next to each other.

It wasn't until Eric had finished his drink and ordered another round that he began to speak.

"How's the leg?"

Maggie looked down and brushed her hand over the new scar. "Oh, it's fine. I actually wanted to thank you." Eric's confusion made Maggie give him a small, shy smile. "Ro told me you got me to the infirmary. So, thanks."

He shrugged, not used to receiving gratitude. "Yeah, well, you'd taken a bullet meant for me. What was I gonna do? Let you die?" he saw a grimace form on her face and felt defensive. "I would have done the same for anyone."

Maggie looked at him for a moment longer before she broke out in a fit of giggles. He sat up, leaning away from the bar in confusion.

"You're such a douchebag!" she laughed out, but there was no malice behind her words so he smirked at her, all awkwardness forgotten. Eric couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked when she laughed.

"Did you know we went back out there today?"

Maggie nodded "Yeah, Zeke said they had cleared everything out already."

He saw the glint leave her eyes and wanted to see it ignited again but there was only so much he could tell her. "We might have a lead." He watched her reaction carefully, enjoying the hope that filled her anew.

"Good." Was all she said. He was relieved she wasn't in a prying mood because he was sure she wouldn't want Four to offer himself up as bait to flush those assholes out. No matter what they had done to her.

After that, they sat together, not really speaking. He watched her when he thought she couldn't see. She was naturally stunning in that simple black dress she was wearing. It was modest compared to what most Dauntless women would choose to be seen in but he could still see how strong yet feminine she was. He noted the way her usually braided hair was left free to flow down her back. He itched to lace his fingers through the tendrils, to touch her skin. To taste her. He could feel his blood surge through his body, to the part of him that was beginning to ache for her the most. It had been building slowly ever since that first night she challenged him and he saw her ignited with fiery passion. The desire had only grown stronger as he saw her courage strengthen her during their past few days.

He was distracted by his thoughts when he heard Uriah's booming voice call out from somewhere behind him.

"Four!" the jovial younger man leaped up from his chair to greet Four as he and Tris walked through the door.

"She doesn't look like she put up much of a fight about him taking off again so soon." Eric murmured, observing the way the two of them stood close to one another, only linked together by their pinkies. It was such a girly display in Eric's opinion that he was surprised Four would allow it.

Maggie watched them as well, smiling at their small yet honest display of affection. "I think it's safe to say that Tris understands when Four has orders to follow."

The couple sat with everyone else for a while before Four spotted Maggie and Eric at the bar. He whispered something to Tris, squeezing her shoulder slightly. She nodded and gave him a quick peck on the lips before he headed over. By the time he reached the bar, Eric had seen to it that a drink was waiting at the empty space on the other side of Maggie. The gesture surprised Four but to his merit, he simply accepted it quietly.

He raised his glass to Eric and gave Maggie a warm smile before taking a pull of the beer he'd been craving for what felt like eons. Maggie's attention had been taken up since Four had arrived that as she turned back to her own beverage she almost jumped out of her skin to notice how close Eric was sitting. He practically leaned across her to address Four.

"You look pretty calm for someone who has a lot to think about." His cryptic words confusing her.

Four, however, clearly knew exactly what the other man meant. "I've reached a decision."

"No need to rush into anything. We'll weigh up our options in a couple of days with Max." His body was still in close proximity with Maggie's. Their legs were pressed against each other and Eric's arm was draped across the back of her bar stool, his thumb drawing slow circles on her shoulder. She wasn't even sure he was aware he was doing it. But then again, he might very well have reason to distract her considering the ambiguous way he and Four were conversing right in front of her. Whatever his motives, she was entirely too aware of him right now. She could feel the strong steady rhythm his heart was beating in, so opposite to her own which was dancing rapidly even as she tried to hide it.

"We've already lost enough time. We should meet Max in the morning and get something started." Maggie managed to put herself together enough to voice her own questions.

"Get what started?" when neither of them spoke she pushed further "If you didn't want me to know you should have waited until I wasn't around. Now, what are you talking about?"

"The factionless were looking for me. Only they didn't know who I was when they questioned me at their compound." Four explained and it dawned on Maggie what Four must be planning.

"So, what? You're going to walk up to every factionless you see, declaring who you are until you're taken?" she paused and neither one of them spoke up. "Then what?"

"He won't be doing anything without Max's approval." Eric stated pointedly, his eyes set seriously on Four. Then he turned back to Maggie, his hand stilled on her back "And if it's decided that he will go to them, he won't go without back up."

"What do you think Tris would say if she found out about this?" Maggie implored Four with unspoken words to think this through.

"She and I have already talked about it and she agrees with me. We all want to see the end of this war. This might be a way for that to happen."

Eric could feel the tension in Maggie's body and thought she might snap any second unless someone tried to appease her. "Like I said before, he won't be rushing into anything. And if Max decides this is our best option, then he won't be going in blind. Or alone." Even as he was telling Maggie this, his eyes were boring into Four, making sure he was getting his point across.

Before the conversation could drag on any further, Ro and Uriah skipped over to them.

"Alright you three, we've here to celebrate your safe return and we've barely spoke to you all night!" Ro announced in her sing song voice. "You're coming with us." Maggie and Four stood, knowing not to argue with Ro but Eric hadn't moved. Noticing this, Ro grabbed his hand and moved to drag him along with her.

"You too, beefcake!" she ordered "You don't get to save my M's life and then have to sit like a loner at the bar. We've got shots!" He smirked at her bold display of dominance over a man three times her size and had to give her credit for having spunk. He allowed her to guide him over to the booth the rest of Maggie's group were piled into, noticing how Ro not so discreetly made sure there was room right beside Maggie for Eric to occupy. When he looked at the tiny blonde, she winked at him and gestured toward Maggie and he could have sworn he saw Maggie blush at Ro's boldness.

 **. . . . .**

As Maggie ate breakfast the following morning, she was accosted by Ro and Christina about Eric's handsy display from the night before.

"We saw you two over at the bar. He was all over you!"

"Whatever you think you saw, you were wrong. Stop reading into things." Maggie maintained.

Christina felt the need to back up her own statement by re-enacting what she thought she saw with Ro. She exaggeratedly sat almost on Ro's lap while slinging her arm around her shoulders. Her breasts were practically in Ro's face. Of course, Ro felt the need to join in, turning toward Christina and putting on a throaty, flirtatious voice.

"Oh, Eric!" she breathed out while playing with Christina's hair. Maggie rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore them and turned her attention to Four and Tris since everyone else was currently fixated on Chris and Ro pretend making out.

"Carry on, ladies." Eric's voice boomed from behind Maggie, causing her to jump and blush heatedly, hoping he hadn't heard who the two girls were pretending to be. Christina and Ro didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed, they just continued on, enthralling the boys surrounding them while Eric walked around the table. As he took a seat across from Maggie, she could see he looked uncertain about something.

"I've been thinking about how you said you weren't sure what job here would be a good fit for you." Maggie nodded her head, remembering the conversation.

"Well, the way you coped with being captured and injured shows how well suited you are to high stress situations. In that way, the patrol squads were good placement. How you handled things after the roof collapse has me thinking you should seriously consider training to be a field medic." Maggie lit up from within, having never thought of that herself. It would work in well with her Dauntless upbringing and her Amity aptitude. She looked at Four who had a gleam of pride in his eyes.

"I think it's a good fit." He told her softly and Maggie saw Tris smile at her in encouragement.

"I think so too." Maggie agreed, looking at Eric so he knew she was giving her answer. He nodded, still using his tough, untouchable persona.

"Good. I'll make the arrangements to have your training started when you're recovered. You're still to have the week off so don't think about leaving on patrol before then."

Maggie gave a small giggle, stopping abruptly at Eric's stern expression.

"I won't. It'll be nice to have a few days to sleep in for once."

Eric stood up "Alright. Oh, Christina. A lot of people have impersonated me over the years, but that has to be the worst one I've seen."


	12. Chapter 12

**A little hint of adult themes ahead. Enjoy ;)**

 **Chapter 12**

That afternoon, Eric found Maggie on her way back to her apartment.

"Hey, are you busy?"

Maggie was startled, having not seen him there but she tried to hide it. No need adding anything else to her list of weaknesses that he was already aware of.

"Hi! Not right now. Almost everyone I know is working." She noted that Eric was holding a file in his hands that he was toying with.

"Good. Come with me." He ordered her, his voice all business. At her questioning glance he elaborated "I've made the arrangements for your medical training. Your new instructor is on duty today. I thought you would like to meet him while I hand over the paperwork."

Maggie was confused "Weren't you supposed to take the week off too? What are you doing dealing with all that now?"

His stern face remained the same although Maggie missed his eyes subtly soften at her brief concern. "It's just a little paperwork. I got it done and now I have the week free. Like you." He started walking towards the infirmary, not turning back. "Are you coming with me or what?"

Maggie smiled and had to half jog to catch up with him.

"So tell me about this new instructor? Is he patient and understanding like Four?" and then she gave him a sly grin "or is he a hard-ass like you?"

Eric wondered if he could have a bit of fun with her while they walked, so he paused, getting closer to her and calmly told her "Oh he's much worse than me."

Maggie quirked her eyebrow "Really? So if I make a mistake, will he make me climb over the rail at the chasm? Or will he just shove me under a shower?"

She had said her comeback in jest but Eric stiffened and turned, continuing toward their destination. "Not if he values his life." He murmured dangerously but it was so low that Maggie didn't hear him. She grimaced and ran to catch up with the now brooding man.

"Should I be worried?"

Eric shrugged. "He's from Erudite, Maggie. He won't punish you. At least not like I would. He values intelligence so, just, think before you speak and don't say anything stupid around him and you'll get along fine." Eric was beginning to wonder if he should have organized her training through one of the female doctors, but they were all stationed at the hospital in Erudite. Dieter was the only one who spent any time at the Dauntless infirmary.

Maggie could see Eric was looking pissed off all of a sudden so she decided to change the topic. Seeing Eric in one of his dark, scary moods could put a dampener on her spirits and she was too excited about her new career choice to let that happen.

"So what are your plans for your time off?" he said nothing so she pressed on "What do you like to do for fun anyway?"

"Nothing. I work or I train. That's it."

 _New topic_ , she thought. "What about your friends? Do any of them have time off while you do?"

Eric sighed. "You're awfully chatty today. What's changed?"

"I just have something to look toward again. You know, a new goal. It helps."

Again, he was reminded that Maggie wasn't like other 18 year old girls. She had lived through hell and small things like this were what helped her get through the day.

"So, did you get much of a hangover after those shots last night?" she asked him, remembering that Ro had practically forced him to join them.

"Not all of us are lightweights." He smirked.

"I think the 80 pounds of extra muscle you carry helps a little." Maggie tried to defend herself. "But, as you can see, I'm fine."

"You sure looked uncomfortable at breakfast this morning. Did you partake too much in the festivities? Or didn't you appreciate Ro and Christina's newfound affection for each other?"

Maggie's olive skin flushed to that lovely deep shade of red that looked so pretty on her and Eric enjoyed watching her stumble for something to say.

"They're usually making a spectacle of themselves in one way or another." Maggie explained away, the pitch of her voice a little higher than normal. Thankfully for her, the infirmary was nearly in sight and she went back to just about bouncing out of her skin in excitement.

Eric watched her face as he opened the heavy infirmary doors and the cool air from within flowed around them. As they stepped in further, Maggie spotted Marlene, the nurse Uriah was casually seeing and gave her a warm smile. Eric placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her along through the entryway and passed the main room where all the cots stood. There was an office next to it and beyond that point were the medications kept on the premises, always on watch and out of reach of unauthorized hands.

In the office stood a man in his early thirties. He had short, copper hair and a bright, friendly smile that reached his blue eyes which shined with mischief.

"Hi, Maggie." He greeted her, walking over and offering his hand to shake. "I'm Dieter."

She felt instantly at ease with the friendly doctor, smiling in return. "It's nice to meet you, Dieter. Thank you for agreeing to conduct my training."

"Of course! Anything to encourage more people for healing. There aren't that many of us." He turned to Eric. "Did you bring the papers for us to sign?"

Eric tossed the file he had been holding and it landed on the counter in front of Dieter and Maggie. When Dieter opened the cover, Maggie could see a contract of sorts had been drawn up with plenty of spaces where the two of them needed to sign.

"Right, well Maggie," Dieter began "how about we take a seat and read through the fine print. Once the official stuff is out of the way, I can show you around and give an overview of what your course will entail. How does that sound?"

Maggie couldn't contain her enthusiasm as she replied. "Sounds perfect!"

Dieter looked to the entry of the office where Eric had been watching the exchange. "Thank you, Eric. I will return the papers to you when we finish up here."

Eric couldn't believe he was being dismissed from anywhere in his own faction and felt a knot forming in his stomach. He suddenly wondered if he had made the right call regarding Maggie. How did the young beauty feel about friendly, attractive doctors? He didn't like the excess energy forming in his gut and needed to work it off so he headed immediately toward the training room.

 **. . . . .**

Early that evening, Maggie and Ro ate dinner together in their apartment. It had been so long since the two of them had the chance to spend any time alone together. Maggie had missed their talks and was enjoying the easy company.

"How have you found patrolling, anyway?" Maggie had been listening to Ro talk about how she was adjusting to her new position. She felt completely responsible for the change in her friend's work placement and wondered if there was any way she could fix it.

"Working with Zeke is fine. I would probably have more fun if it were Uriah but, Zeke is cool."

Maggie supressed a sigh. "You hate it."

"Not the work, or the crew. The early mornings are just the worst. But its fine. I'm getting there."

"Do you think Max would allow you to go back to the parlour when I start back up next week?" Maggie wondered, trying to give Ro a little hope.

"I'm not sure. He said they really needed the numbers on patrols so it was only a matter of time before I found myself being transferred there anyway." This provided little to ease Maggie's guilt on the topic though.

"I'm so sorry, Ro! Max wouldn't have moved you if I hadn't gone and gotten myself captured. You could still be having a blast with Christina!"

Ro patted Maggie's arm and gave her a small squeeze. "Did I tell you Max has called me into his office first thing tomorrow? I might be able to sweet talk him while I'm there." She then remembered Maggie's new workload. "How is everything going to work for you now with patrols and medical training?"

Maggie had told Ro all about her meeting with Dieter earlier that afternoon and how her tour of the infirmary had only gotten her more elated about her new prospects. She recalled the part of the contract that held a detailed schedule drawn up for her.

"My time will be split between the patrols and the infirmary. Some days, Dieter will go out with us. I'll be a lot busier than before."

Ro had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Eric did up the schedule, right? Sounds to me like he's making sure you'll be too busy to meet any guys."

Maggie groaned "Don't start this again. Eric isn't interested. I'm not interested! Besides, you should see Dieter, he's gorgeous...and really approachable."

"Really? That's weird." Ro looked genuinely perplexed "Why would Eric shove a hot guy right under your nose?"

"Because you're wrong about where his interests lay. He just wants me to stop yelling at him in front of everyone. There is no attraction." Ro all but slapped Maggie hearing those words.

"All I know is when we were all at the booth last night, there wasn't a moment when her wasn't touching you somehow."

Maggie shrugged "The booth was really cramped. There were a lot of us sitting around it. Don't confuse lack of space with attraction, Ro. And please don't go out of your way to embarrass me in front off him from now on. This morning was mortifying."

"Alright. I'm sorry."

"Thank you." Maggie knew the best way to stay off the topic of Eric would be to distract Ro with her favourite subject. "So what are you planning to wear to your meeting with Max?"

Ro's face lit up and she jumped from the couch, practically dancing to her room. "Follow me, my lovely!" she beckoned and Maggie followed her. There were three changes of clothes laying out on Ro's bed and Ro began holding them up in turn, weighing out the pros and cons of each one.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie had been healing really well and decided to head to the old training room for a workout. She changed into a pair of training leggings and a tight tank top and began to look forward to the silence of that space. Her father had taken her and her brother to that training room from the moment they could walk. He would teach them defence techniques and show them different pressure points on the body and the best ways to effectively take down an opponent.

Whenever he had the time, Thorin would also take them out to go on camping trips. Really, they were more in depth training on survival skills, should the need ever arise. He was always trying to prepare them to survive anything. Maggie had found these skills useful on many occasions which she was grateful for, but really, she just cherished those times with her father and brother. It was a small gift to look back on and caused her both joy and pain.

As she entered the room, she began a light jog to warm up before wrapping her hands to take to one of the punching bags. She began rhythmically going through her routine, thoroughly distracted in the workout. When a figure showed up right behind her, Maggie jumped in surprise before swinging wildly around, her right hook almost coming into contact with Eric's jaw. He caught her wrist just before it got the chance to and looked pretty pleased with himself. Wether that was because he had managed to sneak up on her or that he had anticipated the punch, Maggie couldn't tell.

"Maggie." He greeted, not letting go of her wrist straight away. He noticed her looking between his face and their joined hands before he slowly let go. Maggie wasn't sure if she was supposed to talk to him or get back to her workout so she turned back to the punching bag, continuing what she had been doing before the interruption, still aware of his close proximity.

"What brings you here?" she attempted nonchalance as he stepped around her and the bag to face her again.

"The other training room was full so I came here." She watched him watching her as she swung at the bag, self-consciousness beginning to take over. "Do you always come here to train? I don't think I've ever seen you at the newer gym."

Maggie stopped for a moment, "I prefer it in here."

"The equipment is better over there."

"That may be, but I don't come here for the equipment." She unwrapped her knuckles and wrists, not wanting to be observed any more.

He chuckled, stepping closer once more to still her hands. "Don't be so flighty, Maggie. Stay a while." He began to tighten up the bindings, taking his time. She stood motionless as his hands worked, not willing to look at him. She could see now that his knuckles were split and bruised in several places and looked like they had beaten the shit out of something or someone very recently.

Eric watched every look that crossed her face carefully, enjoying the confusion he saw there. He was throwing her off-kilter and liked knowing he had that power over her.

When he was done, he let go of her hands and reached up to touch a lock of her hair that had fallen from its braid. Her heart thudded wildly as his knuckle grazed her jaw and their eyes met. She couldn't decipher what she was seeing there which only added to her discomfort. Maggie was relieved when Eric finally stepped away from her and turned, walking toward the supply cupboard that housed the throwing knives. She continued on with her own work as Eric picked up a handful of the weapons and strutted over to a bench that stood off to the side of the targets.

He began toying with each knife as he focused on his target. Without warning, he let one fly and it stuck into the heart. Maggie continued her assault on the bag as she watched Eric again as he threw a knife. His technique was graceful and effective as this one landed between the eyes.

"Nice throw." Maggie conceded, still working the bag.

Eric's back was turned to her so she missed the smile he gave at the compliment. "Turns out, knife throwing is more useful than I used to think." He reminded her of their brief adventure with the factionless and he let loose his third knife.

They continued on like this for half an hour before Eric turned to face Maggie once more.

"You warmed up enough yet?"

"What? Why do you ask?"

He took hold of her wrist again and dragged her gently to the fighting ring at the centre of the room.

"We're going to spar." He told her, as if the answer were obvious.

As it turned out, sparring with Eric was more fun than Maggie would have ever thought it could be. It was also great to learn where her weaknesses lay and to be given pointers from the more experienced fighter. Surprisingly, his critiques were said in constructive ways to not tear at her confidence and Maggie found herself enjoying working with him. She had even managed to spot a subtle weakness of Eric's but hadn't worked out a way to tell him yet so she just exploited it. Considering he was so much larger and stronger than her, Maggie needed any advantage she could find.

After they had been fighting for a while, Eric bested her by knocking her to the ground. He leant down, using his weight to pin her. She was physically and mentally drained of energy by that time and their close proximity was making her uncomfortable. She tapped out instead of trying to fight her way free and could see disappointment on Eric's face.

"Come on. You can get out of this." He didn't let go. Instead, more pressure was placed on Maggie as Eric let more of his weight down on top of her. Maggie's breath came out in gasps and her heartrate picked up once more. She tried to tap out again to give him the message but he wouldn't relent.

"Eric, enough. I'm done!" his face darkened at the fear he found in her eyes and stood up.

"Are you afraid of me, Maggie?" he asked her fiercely, a shadow crossing his features.

"No, we've just been at this for long enough. I'm ready to stop."

"I don't think that's it at all." He argued, still looking all kinds of frustrated.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Figure it out!" he spat out harshly, stalking from the room. Maggie sat up, trying to calm down and stop her hands from shaking. _What the hell was that?_

 **. . . . .**

A few hours later, Maggie entered the pub to join Zeke and Uriah. She spotted Eric at the bar straight away and could tell he knew she had arrived by the way his body stiffened. She turned toward the brothers instead, determined to push all thoughts of Eric from her mind.

Her plan wasn't to last long, however, when Ro all but dragged him over when she arrived with Christina and Will. Once again, he didn't really protest but he certainly wasn't as happy about it as he had been the last time. Ro took note of the tension between her roommate and their leader and discreetly decided to tuck that piece of information away to grill Maggie with when there weren't any onlookers.

Maggie felt uneasy that he was still pissed at her, especially since Ro had seen to it that they were side by side once more. Well, at least she didn't need to look at him from this angle so she turned her attention to Ro.

"How did your meeting go this morning?"

Ro became excited, telling them about the open day Max wanted her to organize for the students at the hub. He wanted them to see what dauntless had to offer if they picked it on their choosing day. She had been given the task of scheduling in demonstrations for shooting, fighting and knife throwing and was asked to find someone willing to give the group visiting a brief self defence lesson.

"Max said if the day goes well, I might get out of patrolling sooner, so you're all volunteering for the demos."

"I'll fight Maggie." Eric offered her up, not even looking at her first. Her head snapped up to see if he was being serious. Apparently he was. She wouldn't argue with him further so she sat in silence as the rest of the group added in who they would like to be matched up against. As it turned out, Eric was going to have a busy day, also choosing to fight Four, while Chris and Ro would battle and Zeke matched up against Uriah. Will had said to put Tris' name down for knife throwing.

"You should ask Four if he'll take the self defence class. He's good with that sort of thing." Maggie suggested and immediately, Eric vetoed her idea.

"No, I'll take it."

"Your sure about that?" she goaded him "You're not as...patient...as Four." His eyes shot daggers at her.

"Well, it doesn't really matter who takes the class, as long as they don't scare off potential initiates." Ro interjected, feeling a little cheeky, she added "It'd help if they were attractive to add a little more interest. Maggie, do you think Dieter would be interested in helping us out? Maybe you could take the class together."

Immediately, Eric's face clouded over and he clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth.

"Ro, Dieter is Erudite." Maggie corrected her. Of course, Ro already knew that. They had spoken about him the night before. Ro gave a small giggle, pretending to be abashed about her blunder.

"Oh, that's right. You did tell me that." Eric looked to be seething at the knowledge that Maggie had told Ro about the young doctor at all. The fact that she had told Ro that he was attractive didn't escape notice either.

Thoroughly pleased with herself, Ro drew everyone else's attention away from the bickering pair and continued her discussion on what plans needed to be made for the open day.

Eric leaned over, his voice dangerously calm "So, you find your new trainer appealing, do you?"

Maggie wasn't sure how to respond without setting off his scary side. Clearly, he already knew she thought Dieter was good looking, so denying it would potentially set him off for lying to him. If she admitted to it, he might get angrier for a different reason. She decided on evasiveness instead, trying to side step the problem.

"Does it matter? I know how to keep things professional." Eric narrowed his eyes at her.

"You better. If I find out anything has happened to compromise your training, I'll pull you from the program. Then you'll have to go back to an ordinary member of the patrols."

Maggie could feel her blood begin to boil at his implication. "Thanks for spelling out your opinion of me. Have I even once given you the impression that I don't take this opportunity seriously?" Eric could see the sting his words had caused her, regretting opening his mouth but not really knowing how to fix it. Instead, he chose to dig himself even deeper into the hole he was in.

"Good. Make sure it stays that way." Maggie continued to fume in her seat, refusing to say a word to the arrogant prick next to her. Eventually, she'd had enough and excused herself, retreating to her apartment. The brothers had both left already, leaving Ro, Christina and Will behind with Eric. Ro gave a small laugh.

"Smooth."

Eric rolled his eyes at her. "What the hell was all that about Dieter? Are you just trying to make me look like an asshole?"

"You don't need any help looking like an asshole, Eric. You do that all on your own." Christina could always be counted on to speak the brutal truth.

 _Yeah, whatever._ Eric thought to himself. _Now I've got even more damage control._

 **. . . . .**

When Eric arrived in the training room the following morning, Maggie was already there. This time she wasn't at the punching bags but instead had elected to use the climbing wall. It was really old. This gym had been built even before her father was a member here but Eric figured, everything was made to last in dauntless. He stood at the door quietly, admiring the view of her tight little body as she ascended the wall. He recalled the dream he had of Maggie the night before. How her eyes had blazed with passion while he ran his hands and tongue over every inch of her. How she had begged him to give her release as he tasted the sweet, sensitive flesh between her thighs and then, how he had envisioned her riding him, looking at him as she came undone.

He had woken up to find his erection was in dire need of release and had stumbled into his shower, leaning his forearm against the tiles as he palmed himself under the hot flow of water. He set a harsh pace, fucking his own hand while her enticing eyes danced in his mind. As he found his finish, groaning loudly at the satisfying feeling, he was relieved that nobody and been there to witness his frantic display.

Now, as the images came back to his mind and he felt himself tighten painfully in his pants again, he was reminded of how he needed to make amends for thoroughly pissing her off the night before. He really needed to know how it felt to bury himself deep inside her and that would not be possible if he didn't appease the situation.

He moved himself closer to the climbing wall, trying to avoid startling her. It seemed he didn't need to when she acknowledged him from above.

"Back again, I see."

Inspiration struck and Eric gave her his boyish half smile. "Feel like having a race?"

Maggie hesitated, not expecting his mood change after the words they had exchanged the night before. "Maybe. State your terms."

"It's just for fun. Nothing serious. Think you can handle that?" Eric didn't want to bet on anything because he had no intention of winning. As Maggie climbed down from the top, he could see she was deep in thought. Most likely trying to figure him out again.

"Ok." She agreed finally, shaking her fatigued arms out before they were to begin.

Eric's playful smile still grace his face. "On your word."

"Alright." She couldn't decipher what he was thinking. He looked so smug that she was sure there was some trick at play. She could only hope it wasn't anything cruel. "Go!" she called, launching herself up the wall. Eric wasn't far behind.

Eric wanted to find a balance of allowing Maggie the victory without her knowing he was throwing the race. He continually became distracted by her ass which wasn't too far from his eager hands. They view she afforded was surely a tempting one but again, he didn't want to wound her pride any further so he regained his focus to make up the lost time, almost catching up to her as she reached the top. When he joined her moments later, she looked over to him curiously.

"What was that? I've been at this for almost an hour and my arms are shot. You should've won easily."

"I'm not a strong climber." He reasoned as the two began the descent. "Got a lot of extra weight to contend with." Again using the smile Maggie had never seen until this morning. She didn't believe him but decided to let him keep his motives to himself.

When they reached the floor again, Eric approached the topic he had been wanting answers to since the last time they were in this room together.

"So, yesterday." He began

"Which part?"

"The part where you froze up on me over there." He pointed to the fighting ring. "Were you really tired or was it something else?"

Maggie had figured the Eric wouldn't be able to let that go. In truth, she hadn't expected the rush of heat his being on top of her had caused. There was absolutely no way she was willing to own to that, however.

"Yes. I had already been training for a while before you got there. That's all." She hoped she was a goon enough liar for him to buy what she was selling.

"Alright." He conceded. "So you want a rematch today?

Maggie smiled in relief that he didn't see through her. "Sure." She told him and they started toward the ring.


	13. Chapter 13

**Such crazy writer's block this week. I hope this chapter is to your liking as I really struggled to stay focused. Everyone's reactions to the last chapter were amazing and I'm so glad to see so many are enjoying the story so far! Thanks again for the support xx**

 **Chapter 13**

A couple of days later, Maggie was wondering towards the training room but curiosity drew her to the newer gym. Most Dauntless members preferred going there as the equipment was better quality and more varied to keep workouts interesting. As Maggie walked towards the room, she listened to hear if it was indeed overcrowded as Eric had been telling her for the past few days. As she opened the heavy door, she poked her head inside to see only five people occupying the space. Figuring she wouldn't see Eric in her room of refuge that day, Maggie sighed and continued on. She was planning on getting in a good cardio workout today if she was going to go back to training alone. The sparring she and Eric had done the past few days had been tough but she hadn't been for a good run since before they were taken.

As Maggie walked into the old training room, she could see a bench near the targets covered with two sets of throwing knives. Eric was leaning casually on one side, his arms folded over his chest, his muscles bulging in his black tank top. Maggie swallowed, suddenly nervous to be in his presence. She hid it well, not skipping a beat as she walked over to him.

"I didn't expect to see you in here again today." She told him, mirroring his stance. Eric smirked and pushed himself to stand, strolling toward her.

"The other gym is busy again."

Maggie just shrugged and shook her head in confusion, wondering what game he was playing at.

"How about another friendly competition?" he walked around behind her, emphasizing the word friendly as his chest grazed her back. Maggie supressed a shiver and stood stock still, waiting for Eric to put some distance between them. She didn't trust her voice to answer and when Eric hadn't moved away from her, she took the few steps forward to the table in front of the targets. Eric moved up beside her and began toying with one of the knives.

"Are we playing for anything this time?" Maggie wondered. The past few days he hadn't named any stakes but with Eric, she wasn't sure if this entire week hadn't been all part of some subtle plan he was carrying out.

Eric seemed to mull something over in his head. His boyish half smile graced his face again, setting Maggie's heart racing once more. If only he could be like this all the time, she might find him appealing.

"How about, if I win," Eric began, pacing in front of the bench, playing with the knife in his hand. He seemed relaxed but Maggie detected an undercurrent of something there. Something she just couldn't figure out. "You join me for drinks tonight." His eyes were intense on hers, waiting for her answer.

"We've had drinks together the last few nights anyway." Maggie pointed out. It was true, each night when she and her friends went to the pub, Ro would drag Eric over to join them. It was like she had decided to adopt a stray who didn't really seem to want to be there but just let things happen anyway.

Eric cracked his knuckles, fidgeting his hands. Suddenly, he was right there in front of her, toying with that rogue lock of her hair again.

"I mean, without your entourage. Especially Ro." Maggie couldn't really think with Eric playing with her hair and he seemed to know it. He quickly let go and went back to the knives again.

"And if I win?" Maggie wanted to know.

"Name it." He murmured, again watching her closely.

"I know the other gym is barely being used right now. I want you to tell me why you're really here." Eric's eyes were full of mischief as he nodded his agreement to her terms. It disappointed Maggie somewhat to see that no matter who won, he wouldn't really be bothered by the outcome.

"Just let me warm up a little first." Maggie requested, not wanting to go into this cold. Losing would mean alone time with Eric and she wasn't entirely comfortable with that. Granted, they were alone right now but it was hardly a social situation. This was training. This was them conditioning themselves for the war going on outside the walls of their compound and Maggie was in her safe place in this room. She had been coming here almost every day since she could walk. Going out somewhere with Eric, with nobody around to act as a buffer for their inevitable clashing was a huge risk.

As Maggie went about her usual stretches and warm up, fully aware that Eric's eyes hadn't left her the entire time, she worked to focus her mind to the task at hand. Forgetting the imposing man was in the room with her was no easy feat, especially with the way her skin prickled when she felt his gaze on her. Instead of letting Eric know he was getting to her, Maggie kept on her facade of serene calmness and confidence.

After she felt ready enough to begin, Eric started their small contest with his first three throws. His first hitting right between the target's eyes. The following two in its chest. He turned to Maggie looking smug and she got the feeling she would really have to spend time alone with Eric tonight.

She shook her arms a little, trying to regain her composure as she focussed on the target. As she let the first knife fly, it hit slightly off centre in the head. The next one right in its heart. As Maggie was about to aim her last throw, Eric came up behind her. His left arm on her hip and the fingertips of his right hand trailed down her arm, taking hold of her hand.

"Your stance is a little off." His whisper caressed her as he used his feet to adjust hers, turning them to a new angle. Next, he turned her torso off to the side slightly and Maggie marvelled at how big his hand was. It engulfed her, spanning the entirety of her waist, making her feel tiny next to him.

"Bring your arm up, like this." His right hand moved down to her elbow, moving it back a little before his left hand moved up from her waist to her jaw. Goosebumps erupted down Maggie's neck all the way down her left side to the tips of her fingers and toes. Eric lifted her chin up far more gently than Maggie would have ever imagined him capable of.

"Breathe." He had to remind her, as she didn't even realize her breath had caught and she turned to look at him. Immediately she regretted that decision as she saw the raw intensity in his gaze, his eyes had darkened and dilated, causing heat to pool deep and low in Maggie's belly. She tried with all her might to supress the throbbing of need for a man she could barely stand that was becoming difficult to ignore.

Eric readjusted her chin, breaking the moment much to Maggie's relief. She was certain Eric could feel her heart as it slammed in her ribs and knew that she really needed to get a grip.

"Watch your target. Focus on where you want the knife to go." His husky voice was not helping to ease Maggie's plight. "Take a breath in, and as you exhale..." this time, he held onto both her hand and the knife, breathing out he guided Maggie as they threw the knife together. In her dazed state, Maggie noted that the knife had embedded into the very centre of the target. When Eric stepped away, Maggie was disappointed to discover that his spell hadn't broken. She was still deeply aware of him and the need that had formed within her was still almost crippling.

On shaky legs, Maggie moved over to the target, taking the knives out for their second round. Suddenly, she began to feel angry at herself for reacting to Eric that way and angry at Eric for distracting her and touching her the way he had. Without looking at him, she handed back his knives and turned to watch the target, waiting for him to complete his throws. Feeling desperate to get out of their bet, Maggie tried to will his knives to miss. His first throw hit perfectly and Maggie could feel panic rising in her.

She was able to breathe again when the second and third knives embedded into the target with slightly less precision, missing that perfect placement of his first round. This was her chance to win, if only he would stand a little away from her.

She moved up to the line, one knife in her right hand, two in her left. She remembered the stance Eric had so skilfully shown her, taking her breaths as she focussed. One, two, three. Each knife finding its mark perfectly, earning Maggie the win. Her entire body relaxed as the weight of her fear was released.

"Well done." Eric told her quietly from the side of the bench. He began packing away the knives slowly, taking them to the supply room to be locked away. As he came back toward Maggie, her brief relief was forgotten as he stopped directly before her, looking down.

"I guess well have drinks another time." He conceded softly, the look in his eyes disintegrating Maggie's brief calm.

"So, are you going to tell me why you've been training in here this week?"

Eric shrugged, darkened eyes boring into hers.

"Well, Maggie. If you have to ask, I don't think you're ready to know." With that, he walked from the room, leaving an overheated Maggie standing alone, thoroughly disappointed and not understanding why.

 **. . . . .**

Later that day, Eric and Four were meeting with Max in his office.

"We'll take all necessary precautions." Max told Four who had insisted on seeking out the factionless who were looking for him.

"There is every chance they'll be looking for vengeance for the damage we caused at their compound." Eric reminded him. He wasn't as keen on their plan to integrate a member of dauntless into their enemy's quarters to act as a double agent. "I don't see him surviving long enough to find out anything useful. Especially if the one we left alive recognizes you."

"Even so, its all we have to go on." Four argued. They could continue going around in circles with this argument or they could put together a plan.

"You'll need to give them something if you want to earn their trust." Eric's arms were crossed, his face not giving anything away.

"I could give them the new schedule for the patrols. Give them a heads up as the where to avoid and when while they conduct their business."

Max shook his head. "They could use that to plan another attack on our people. It needs to be something that won't get any of us killed."

As the other two worked out more of a plan, Eric felt uneasy about the whole situation. They could very possibly be sending one of Maggie's closest friends to his death.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie was pacing around her apartment, going out of her mind. Everyone she knew and felt comfortable talking to were working and would be for a few more hours. She was so confused about the signals Eric had been sending her. He always used to seem so pissed off around her. He'd treat her and Ro as juvenile and either openly mock them or ignore them completely. Now all of a sudden everywhere she turned, there he was, watching her, getting closer and closer. Logic was trying to tell Maggie that Eric wanted her but she refused to believe that. Even if he did, a man like that was dangerous to get involved with.

She needed to stay away from him for a while, just to sever this connection that was building between them. Acting on these impulses would only serve to ruin Maggie's reputation in dauntless and she couldn't taint her name. Her father's name.

She really should stop going to her usual training room, opt for the more crowded one just to ensure someone was around them at all times. She knew being in a room alone with him was tempting fate. The heat she felt between them this morning was testament to that. She had been close to losing herself in those arms, held to her so firmly while his breath caressed the back of her neck and her cheek. He knew exactly what he was doing to her, of that she was sure.

As the hours dragged on, Maggie rearranged furniture, scrubbed every inch of the apartment clean and did all of her and Ro's laundry. As she lugged the last of their clothes back to the apartment, Maggie ran into Uriah who was on his way back from patrols, almost knocking them both over in the process.

"Easy there, M! You're in a world of your own!" he told her as he steadied them both on their feet. When he'd gotten a better look at her, he gave a small laugh.

"You have that look about you."

She looked sheepish as she enquired "What look? I don't have a look."

"Sure you do. It's the one you always get when you're running from something good for no reason." She turned back to the pile of laundry at their feet, picking stray items up. Uriah stooped down, helping her gather everything together and they carried it back to her room. Maggie was apprehensive about opening the apartment door, knowing Uriah would notice the overly pristine state of it.

As they walked in, he gave a low whistle and laughed under his breath.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked her as he took the piles of clothes to the coffee table. Maggie walked over to them and sorted out which clothes belonged to her and which were Ro's, avoiding Uriah's observation.

He sat patiently as she put the clothes away and made quick work of brewing them both a cup of coffee. As she handed him a cup of the strong brew and sat down beside him he nudged her gently with his elbow.

The front door unlocked and Ro walked in much to Maggie's relief. It was short lived when Ro also took in the spotless apartment and a haunted looking Maggie. She was less than subtle in her observations and burst out into that tinkering laughter that was uniquely Ro.

"Eric getting to you after all?"

"Shut up!" Maggie snapped, getting up from the couch and stalking to her room. Ro and Uriah simply laughed off her benign outburst and followed her, flopping onto her bed on either side of their confused friend.

Ro began stroking her hair as the three of them stared out the window at the swirling colours of pinks and purples in the clouds, indicating the sun was setting.

"Did something happen between you two?" Uriah spoke, breaking the silence oppressing the room. Maggie shook her head.

"No. But it might if we spend much more time together."

"Do you want it to?"

"I don't think it would be a good idea." It was all she was willing to give them.

"I don't understand. You two are hot for each other. Why is that a bad thing?" Ro's confusion was getting the best of her.

Her question was left unanswered when Uriah made his suggestions. "If you really don't want anything to happen between the two of you, tell him you're not interested."

This had Ro openly scoffing "This is Eric we're talking about! I still don't get it Maggie. You could cut the tension between the two of you with a knife. The sex would be amazing!" a thought dawned on Ro and she sat up, studying Maggie critically.

"Are you afraid of sex? Is that it?" Uriah burst out laughing at Ro's ludicrous suggestion.

"No Ro, she isn't afraid of sex. She just doesn't want to get close to Eric." He explained in understanding.

Before Ro could ask any more questions, Uriah silenced her with a finger over her lips.

"So, no pub tonight?" Uriah asked, trying to get off topic for Maggie's sake.

No, you guys can go. I think I'll go for a walk or something."

They hung out together for a while longer before Ro and Uriah headed out and Maggie couldn't help but wonder what would happen when Eric saw she wasn't with them. Not that she cared or anything.

 **. . . . .**

A couple of days had passed and Eric waited once more in the old gym to see if Maggie would show up today. He hadn't seen her since he had given her the knife throwing pointers. Things had gotten heated between them and it took all his strength not to throw her down and have his way with her right where they were standing. She had looked like she wanted him too. Until right at the end when something had shifted and she'd looked ready to cut him with one of those knives.

He'd gone to the pub that night, wanting to see her but as the hours passed, Maggie just wasn't there. Each morning since, he had waited for her and each night he sat at the bar to no avail. Maggie didn't want to see him.

Taking a look at his watch, Eric saw that he would have to leave now to meet Four in his office. The decision had been made to send Four out to see why the factionless wanted him and it was Eric's job to make sure he was kept as safe as he could. Taking one last look at the empty room, Eric sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before leaving. He wouldn't come here again. Not unless Maggie asked him to.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie was wondering aimlessly around Dauntless, trying to pass the time. It was her last night of freedom before her new busy schedule took affect. Most of her crew were at the pub but she still hadn't been there since she last saw Eric.

She had a lot on her mind today, having heard from Tris that Four had been going out of the compound the last few days, searching for Edgar, the guy who had headed their capture. Tris was beside herself with worry even though she hadn't wanted Four to know it and Maggie felt uncomfortable about the whole situation as well.

So far, he hadn't had much luck but it was only a matter of time. The two of them hadn't argued about the mission since Maggie had first heard about it, knowing that Max had ordered someone to hang back a ways to make sure Four was kept safe. She still hated the idea of him going out there, virtually alone, looking for an enemy who had caused countless devastation.

As she wandered around, she sat at the chasm for a while, watching the rushing water below and willing the sound to wash her troubles away. When she couldn't sit there any longer, Maggie found herself walking the halls again and before she knew it, she was facing the net set up for jumpers on choosing day. She stepped over to it and pulled herself up so that she could lay on her back and stargaze for a while. Living as a Dauntless, there weren't so many opportunities to watch the night sky. At least not from the level she was living in.

It was breathtaking tonight, with nothing to obscure her view. In the back of her mind, Maggie knew that she should be getting a good rest in before her first day back in the field. Not to mention the new training and studying she would be having to get through. She was simply too wired to be able to sleep however.

A noise disrupted her peaceful moment and Maggie lifted her head to see who had stumbled upon her newfound sanctuary. Her heart stopped when she was once more face to face with Eric. She sat motionless at first. He hadn't indicated that he had seen her and she wasn't in any mood to deal with the confrontation that was sure to follow. After a few minutes, it looked like he had in fact missed that she was there and Maggie felt herself relax.

Without warning, the edge of the net was pulled down as Eric hoisted himself up and settled down beside her. Neither of them said anything for a while and Maggie could smell the alcohol on his breath. She didn't have the courage to say anything so she just lay there as still as she could manage. This went on for over half an hour and Maggie was beginning to wonder if Eric had passed out. He was laying just as still as she was, one arm behind his head, acting as a pillow.

After her body couldn't handle the stillness any longer, she moved to roll off the side away from Eric and this oppressive tension but as she moved, his hand shot out, taking hold of her wrist.

"Stay." He said gently.

"I have to start early tomorrow. I need to get some sleep."

Eric rolled onto his side, resting his head on his hand. "I just want to see your face when I ask you one thing." He told her, still not letting her leave.

"What do you want to know?" Maggie really didn't want him to say anything. She just wanted him to let her go without one of their trademark arguments.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not." Maggie tried to wipe all emotions off her face, telling him this answer the way she had practiced in her mind.

"I don't like being lied to, Maggie." His stern tone was a warning and she knew that she had been right to stay away.

"Please, Eric, I don't want a fight. I just want to go home." She sounded tired, even in her own ears and she hoped he would let her go.

"Okay." He answered, his voice too breezy. Too indifferent and it sent a chill down Maggie's spine.

Eric climbed gracefully off the net and held his arms out to help Maggie. Not wanting to further irritate him, Maggie took his hands as he pulled her gently up, moving them under her arms to lift her effortlessly down. As her feet touched the ground, Eric's arms wrapped around Maggie, holding her in place. He tilted his head down, brushing his nose against the tip of hers. She could feel him leaning further forward and she took a step back.

"Good night Eric." She spoke the words with a finality that wasn't to be argued with and pulled herself out of his hold. He stood motionless as she began to walk away.

"You can't keep running from this." He called after her.

"Watch me." Maggie mumbled under her breath as she continued down the hall.

Before she had gotten too far, Eric had caught up with her, falling easily into step beside her. She chose to stay quiet once more as the two walked together, an uncomfortable silence surrounding them. Maggie was reluctant to allow Eric to see where she lived but dismissed that as ridiculous. All the leaders had access to the living plans and knew which homes belonged to whom. When they rounded the corner and Maggie stopped in front of her door, Eric leaned against the frame.

"You're not coming in here." Maggie told him with all the force she could muster.

Eric smiled a little, whispering "I never said I would." He still didn't move either way so Maggie opened her door to go inside. Once she was through the threshold and was about to close the door behind her, Eric spoke up once more.

"You don't need to avoid the training room because of me." Then he left, heading back to his own apartment while Maggie closed the door with shaky hands and sunk down to the floor behind it.


	14. Chapter 14

**I almost psyched myself out of writing this chapter today. I had to change up my original plan for the story to expand on it a bit. A couple chapters ago, I went rogue on my story plan and it has thrown things out a little. Not in a way I'm unhappy with, it just means I needed to add on a few new things. This is by far the most I have gotten into anything I have written and I didn't want to cut any corners.**

 **I might be updating a little less frequently between now and new years. My family and I will be a little busier than usual with visitors and going away for a bit so I wanted to give you a heads up and hope that you will bear with me in the mean time. Once the holidays are done and dusted, I will get back to (hopefully) updating once or twice a week. With any luck, I should still get one more update in before Christmas. If not, I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday xx**

 **Chapter 14**

"For now, just stay to where we can see you on the cameras. I've got Charlie in the control room keeping eyes just on you." Eric was going through security measures with Four once more before he went out to look for Edgar again.

"Just Charlie, right?" Four had been concerned that Tris would want in on the detail and he knew it would only serve to worry her.

"Yeah. We need someone who will stay focused the whole time." Eric's words were short. His head was killing him from the amount he had to drink the night before and he had little patience for the drama's of other men.

It was far earlier than either of them would have liked to be up and about but for very different reasons. While Eric had a raging hangover and was still nursing the sting of rejection from Maggie, Four had a feeling about today being the one where everything would change.

He'd had the strangest dream the night before that felt like a foreboding warning to not follow this path anymore. For the first time since offering himself up, Four got the sense that this was the wrong decision and now, he could only think of Tris, possibly waiting for a man who might never come home. When he had woken in the early hours to his blaring alarm, he watched as she stirred beside him. It still amused him to this day how she could easily fall back asleep after the sound went off. He loved those moments, watching her settle back into sleep, her features soft and peaceful.

As he looked at the love of his life, her sweet face undisturbed by any thoughts or troubles, Four felt his chest tighten. Leaving her behind this morning felt so wrong. He knew on some level that this would be the last time he would be able to look upon her face without something beyond their control coming between them. It was too late to turn back from this mission now, and it was with a heavy heart that Four had left their apartment, hoping with every fibre of his being that his gut instinct was wrong for once.

The two men made their way to the train tracks just outside of the Dauntless compound. The train was due any minute, not that Eric could ever memorize the damn schedule. They stood in silence while they waited, neither bothered if they spoke or not.

After a while, Eric broke into the quiet of the early morning.

"You remember how to flag me down if something happens?"

Four nodded. They had agreed on hand signals that Charlie would relate back to Eric that would be used when Four was in sight of the cameras. If he found himself away from the surveillance, he had a small tracker he was to turn on. Eric had told him to only activate it if things were looking south. Eric wouldn't be far from Four at any point in time, carrying enough in back-up weaponry to cover the both of them and hopefully bring them both home.

Four didn't want to cause any unnecessary panic within the factionless and had opted to only carry a hand gun and a knife. Eric hadn't held back in telling Four what he thought of that plan but had allowed it in the end.

As the sound of an approaching train was heard, Eric turned to Four again.

"Try not to get killed. I don't want to have to explain to your friends that you won't be coming back."

"You don't want to explain to Maggie." Four muttered under his breath earning a warning glare from Eric.

As the train was drawing nearer, they began to run up alongside it in powerful strides to keep up to its pace. Eric jumped up first, opening one of the doors and making his way inside the car. Four followed not long after and the two men stood , looking out at the passing scenery of the city.

It wouldn't be a long journey by train before they reached the known factionless sector. Both Four and Eric glad that they didn't have to share too much time with each other so soon since their journey home from captivity. It was more than they had spent in each other's company since their initiation days.

As they neared their stopping point, Eric got ready to separate from his charge.

"I won't be far away." He reminded Four. With a troubled look on his face he added "Don't get killed." before jumping off gracefully and disappearing amongst the ruined structures of old buildings.

Four couldn't help but wonder if the look of concern on Eric's face was for Four's wellbeing or because Eric would be in a world of trouble for letting anything to happen to one of his soldiers. It was too much to hope that the leader was becoming more like a human being so it was more likely that Eric just wanted to avoid the mountains of paperwork Four's death would cause him.

A few moments and some distance from Eric later and Four made his jump from the moving train. He landed at a run and rolled to take some of the jarring impact. As he rounded to his feet again, Four began his mission to find Edgar.

He scanned his eyes over the group of homeless people gathered around a fire drum. The stench of their unwashed bodies thick in the air as it assaulted Four's nostrils, making his eyes water and his stomach turn. He immediately knew that they wouldn't want to cause any harm to him, clearly staying out of the fight. The factionless soldiers were a little more groomed and far cleaner, possibly earning the privilege of clothing, food and basic hygiene necessities by fighting in this war while the pacifists were shunned by all sides.

Feeling guilty for it, Four walked passed this group and into the ruins of an old hotel building that had seen better days. He made his way over crumbled bits of old walls to get to the inside. Beyond this mess, he could see more of the factionless, mulling around aimlessly and steeled himself to get on with his mission, stopping in front of a small group who were huddled together. When he asked them of Edgar, their eyes widened, cluing Four into their at least knowing who he was talking about. None of them spoke so he continued on, finding people in groups and some he asked were alone. Each time, he was met with silence.

Feeling frustrated that nobody would talk to him, Four moved on, trying his luck on a higher level. He headed for the stairs, climbing them carefully. The new height afforded him a better look around the area and he spent some time watching the riff raff of their society jumbling around, trying to find that one person he needed that would help him.

After some time, Four's patience was rewarded when he spotted a woman who looked better taken care of than the rest. Instead of the dusty, torn and ratty mash of factionless' usual attire, this woman wore clean and new looking black tights and tank top. Her boots were free of holes or scuff marks, better taken care of than Four's were. Her hair looked clean, shining in the minimal light and was brushed back into a neat ponytail. The biggest give away was the way she held herself with confidence, not veering from her path for anyone, expecting them to get out of her way. Finally, it was Four's chance to speak with one of the enemies soldiers.

He walked up to her, mirroring her confidence and exuding only strength. At the same time, his posture was open, showing that he meant her no harm and just wanted to talk.

"Excuse me, Ma'am. I'm looking for Edgar. Do you know him?" The woman looked at Four with pure hate in her eyes, the bright green flashing but she didn't answer him. He got an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as a man turned around and stood by the angry woman.

"What are you doing here, Dauntless?" he asked, the same disdain on his features as he spat the words out like they were poison on his tongue.

Yes, Four knew they were part of the resistance. There was no way these two were like the passive men, women and children outside and all around them. Again, he was reminded of his dream, of the blood spilled, covering his own hands, but he swallowed back any fear before it could form.

"I'm here to find Edgar. Do you know where he is?"  
"Who wants to know?" the man inquired, not changing from his original stance.

Four needed to make a quick decision. At this moment, he still had his anonymity to cling to. He had no idea what these people wanted with him and if he gave that up, who knows what would happen to him or anyone else back in his home. The woman he had approached appeared to be out of patience for her enemy, reaching for the knife in her belt, effectively making Four's decision for him.

"Tobias Eaton." he said simply. The woman's hand stilled, not far from her weapon as both she and her comrade's eyes widened in recognition.

"What do you know of him?" she spoke finally. Four wasn't willing to take a chance on revealing himself to these people so quickly.

"Take me to Edgar and you'll find out."

The two looked to each other, a silent conversation passing between them. The woman turned to an onlooker who up until now, had been observing quietly. She spoke in hushed tones to him and he promptly left the building.

"Wait here." she told Four and the two factionless soldiers stood guard over him. He did as he was told, waiting and unmoving while the other man brought Edgar to him. The time ticked on and minutes turned to hours but Four was disciplined and remained still, not giving them any ammunition to use against him. He wondered if Eric was still keeping watch just outside or if he had followed the man seeking out Edgar. It would help them immeasurably for Eric to uncover where one of the factionless' higher-ups was hiding out. Considering Eric had no way of listening in to their conversation, nor had he been inside to see the exchange, the man who left in search of Edgar would be another one of the many unimportant nobodies to the Dauntless leader, not even worth a second glance.

"Well if you're not the dumbest man in history for coming after me!" Edgar sung out from the doorway. Four watched as he strutted over, practically dancing on his feet. He could feel the anger of his humiliation rolling off Edgar as he moved forward.

"Come to finish the job, tough-guy?" he asked as he breathed in Four's face. He looked all too pleased to be brought to one of the captors who killed his men and rendered him unconscious before escaping him.

"I came to talk." Four countered, not wanting to rile Edgar up any further.

"You had your chance but you fucked it up. Royally!" Edgar swung a closed fist at Four's face but his arm was caught by a woman who had entered quietly behind him.

"Tobias." she breathed quietly but clearly. Edgar stilled for a moment before turning to see the woman's face. She held her gaze on Four, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. Countless emotions written over her face.

Four's face turned white at the sight of her. A ghost from a life he had tried to forget when he left it behind years ago. A woman who he had believed to have lost her life too young, leaving him at the mercy of his violent father.

"Mother?" he asked, not wanting to believe what his eyes were telling him. If she was really here, if she was really alive, that meant she had willingly allowed Marcus Eaton to abuse his son, unprotected by the person who was supposed to love and care for him the most.

"Evelyn?" Edgar inquired incredulously. He looked between the two of them standing-off and finally put two and two together. "Him? Of all people it had to be him?" but he spoke no further when given one look from Evelyn.

She brought her hand up to touch her son's face but he flinched away from her touch, making her think better of it.

"Everyone leave us." she instructed the surprised people surrounding them "We have a lot to talk about."

 **. . . . .**

Maggie was surprised to find herself so full of energy this far into such a long day. It was her first day back and she'd had to drag herself out of bed at four this morning to get a workout in before breakfast and patrolling for half of the day. Being back on A crew was like coming home after what felt like a lifetime away. So much had happened in the week since she sat in the truck alongside Zeke, Brad and Jason. Now she was also joined by Ro and loved feeling useful once more. They had spent their time scouring the Abnegation sector, looking for any sign of their enemy.

Now it was mid-afternoon and she had been with Dieter in the infirmary since finishing her lunch. They had a lot of inductions to go over which were tedious at best but necessary if Maggie wanted to conduct herself to the standards expected of her.

She was happy to listen to Dieter talk her through it all with his pleasant voice. He was in general, a friendly and happy man who Maggie felt at ease with. She suddenly understood why Eric had begun to act strangely each time the doctor was brought up in conversation. If he was being genuine when he indicated an attraction toward Maggie, she could see why he wouldn't want her getting too close with someone far easier to get along with than Eric.

Already, Maggie could tell that if she took her training seriously and always tried her best, she and Dieter would get along just fine.

Already she was affronted by the sheer amount of text books and practical training facing her and was contemplating withdrawing from the patrols for the time being, just to get through everything. Remembering Ro made Maggie keep her concerns to herself, however. She didn't want to be any more responsible for Ro being stuck in a job she never wanted.

After hours of going through the basics, Maggie was relieved when Dieter excused her for the day, not without handing her a large pile of textbooks with markers in them.

"I need you to go through the chapters marked before we meet again tomorrow." he told her, an apologetic look crossing his face. "It won't always be this bad." he reassured her and Maggie gratefully smiled.

"See you tomorrow." she told him as she carried everything she needed out of the infirmary and toward the mess hall. She would need to refuel her body before shutting herself in her apartment for the foreseeable future.

Making her way to her usual table, which was empty of any of her friends, Maggie sighed, dumping the text books down next to the tray of food left in the centre. She began filling her plate with a stew of mystery meat and vegetables, a bread roll, some pasta and a small salad. As she began to eat, she once again marvelled at how quickly the volunteers had rebuilt their eating area. She was grateful that even though there was a war going on in the city, every recognized faction was working and getting along so well together.

Halfway through her meal, Maggie took a long drink of water from the cup in front of her when she observed Eric sitting down beside her. She was almost relieved to see he wasn't right on top of her like he usually sat, keeping a small amount of distance between them.

Maggie had decided to trust his words from the night before that she didn't have to avoid the old training room on his behalf and was happy to find it empty that morning when she got there. She had hoped he would keep his distance from all aspects of her life for a while but here he was, joining her for dinner nonetheless.

"How was your first day back?" he inquired conversationally, digging into his own plate of food without looking up.

"It was great." she told him, forcing extra enthusiasm into her voice.

"Not too busy for you?"

"I can handle it."

The two sat, finishing their meals, Eric practically inhaling his in half the time it took for Maggie to get through hers. When he was done, he sat, watching her.

"What is it?" she wanted to know. She was getting more used to being observed by Eric but it was still unnerving at times. Especially when she was trying to eat.

"You really ok with the workload? I can change things around if you need me to."

Maggie wasn't sure if she should feel insulted that he didn't think she was capable of coping. Whether he meant it that way or not, she couldn't help the sting of it getting to her.

"I just told you I can handle it. You want to call me incapable and a liar in one sentence?"

Eric sighed, stilling her with his hand on hers for a brief moment before pulling away again.

"Calm down, woman. I never said you weren't capable. Or that you were a liar. I just wanted to make sure you're not taking too much on. I know I have high expectations of everyone here and some sassy young broad keeps telling me I need to let up a little." by the end of his speech, he was smirking at her, making her insides flip involuntarily.

"Well, I've got this." she reassured him sheepishly "Thanks."

The added on show of politeness clearly pleased Eric because his beautiful boyish half smile made an appearance. "Okay."

Maggie took one last drink, about to excuse herself.

"Are you still good to go to the open day Ro is planning? It's at the hub this Saturday." he looked almost hopeful while broaching the subject. The last time it was mentioned, the two of them were in a standoff and neither had brought it up again.

Maggie nodded "Yeah. I owe it to Ro."

"Well, in that case, do you want to have a few practice fights between now and the weekend? The better we know each other's styles, the more of a show we can give the kids. We really need the numbers so it's got to look good."

Maggie leaned her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand. She was suddenly feeling every bit as tired as she should be after having so much going on.

"What would you suggest?" she asked him, not willing to agree or to disagree just yet.

"How about I meet you at the gym each morning until Saturday? After that, you can kick me out permanently if you want to."

"I have to get up pretty early during the week" Maggie warned "You sure you're up for that?"

Eric chuckled. "Sweetheart, you're not the only early riser in this place. What's your usual time? Just after four am?" there was a knowing twinkle in his eyes and Maggie realized something.

"You've been watching me." his smile widened knowing she had finally caught up. "Do you stalk everyone in Dauntless?"

"I wouldn't call it stalking." he whispered, although sometimes he questioned that himself. "I'm just...around. Sometimes I see you around too."

Maggie wasn't sure why his confession didn't make her uncomfortable. Sure, her heart rate had picked up but she knew that it wasn't fear she felt. She should be running for the hills. Letting it go for now Maggie decided to agree.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning then." she told him as she got up, heaving the textbooks up into her arms once more.

"Until then." Eric's quiet tone and the unspoken promise in his words had Maggie's entire body singing. She could feel every beat of her heart as it pumped blood to places it had no business pooling to and she could feel herself blush that her body would betray her like that. She ducked her head and moved away, hoping Eric hadn't noticed.

It seemed the harder she fought what she was beginning to feel for Eric, the more she realized she wanted him.

 **. . . . .**

When Four had left the factionless sector and the woman he once knew as his mother, he had raced for the approaching train. He'd completely forgotten about Eric, simply wanting to get the hell away from Evelyn and the growing realization that the mother he had grieved for so long had abandoned and betrayed him. She had left him and hadn't looked back. Now, she needed something from him and decided to be a mother again.

By the time he had boarded the train, he was breathing heavily in combination of his physical exertion and the inner torment he was dealing with. It didn't surprise him to see Eric climb in not too long after. He had been true to his word, keeping watch.

Eric had stood observing him intently on the train, seeing Four struggling greatly with something and needing to know what it was. Four just couldn't deal with it right now and somehow, by some great miracle, the usually arrogant and outspoken Eric had just stood there quietly. Four didn't realize Eric even knew how to keep his mouth shut but he had picked the perfect time to show he could.

When they had arrived back at Dauntless, the two of them headed inside.

"You're going to have to give Max a report." Eric reminded Four.

"I know. Just not right now." and with that, they separated.

Four actively avoided every place one of his friends would be. He missed dinner, opting to make himself something at home and there was no way he would be going to the pub to see Zeke. His best friend would be able to pry his mind open with one look and there was no way Four was ready for that. Tris was rostered on for working the night shift and would be gone until the early hours of tomorrow morning so home was a sanctuary for the time being.

Thankfully, the next few days he would be busy with his shifts in the control room and helping Ro get ready for the open day. He would throw himself into the work and put on a show of normalcy until he could wrap his head around this total mind fuck.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie was pumped full of adrenalin and used it to help her fight the onslaught of attacks Eric was using against her. She darted away just as the blade of his knife sliced the air near where her belly had just been. She threw her body backward, catching Eric off guard as he was leaning much of his weight on her.

The movement toppled him forward and as he was recovering from the stumble, Maggie kicked him in the lower back. As he swung around to strike her again, she brought the handle of her own blade down on the back of Eric's hand. His hold on his knife slackened and the blade dropped to the ground.

Maggie quickly kicked his knife out of the ring and brought her blade up to his throat, smirking when she knew she had bested him in this fight.

"Nice." He conceded. Maggie was aware that although Eric was a proud and arrogant man at times, when it came to someone performing well in a fight or other skill, he was encouraging, constructive and helpful. It seemed for the first time, she noticed he might actually want to help each member of Dauntless become the best soldier they were capable of being. It was a wonder it had taken her so long to reach this revelation really.

They had been at the fight for almost forty-five minutes and she was out of breath and quite frankly, relieved they were done. He was almost brutal, not giving an inch and it was taxing on her both mentally and physically. It also brought out the best fighter in her and Maggie knew the ruthless and unyielding way he pushed her would serve to save her life one day.

She brought her right hand out to shake his, showing respect where it was due.

"Good fight, boss." she breathed out, still trying to catch her breath.

"I don't know, Ivor. I might have to pay you off to throw the fight on Saturday. I don't want any new recruits to know I can be beaten by a woman."

Maggie laughed, gathering up their supplies while Eric helped her. They moved over to the supply cupboard to return the training knives and other equipment they had brought out earlier.

"Maybe they will be impressed by your ability to accept defeat graciously." she joked.

"You really are an exceptional fighter. You were taught well." Eric conceded, suddenly looking sincere and even admiring of his opponent. The sudden shift in atmosphere between them was almost enough to make Maggie forget herself again.

"I don't think many around here could boast having a better teacher than I had." Eric was surprised. It was the most honest reply she could have granted him. Although she had given brief offhanded comparisons between her father and Eric in the heat of an argument, this was the first time she had spoken of Thorin in such a relaxed conversation. He felt honoured that she was beginning to let those walls down around him.

"I would have given anything to be trained by him." Eric told her earnestly but he could see that the depth their conversation had suddenly reached would be too much for Maggie to take much longer. He bumped her shoulder with his in a show to tease the young woman. "Maybe then, I'd be the one kicking your ass all the time. What will the new kids think of me?"

"I'm sure one well-placed glare from you will instil the fear of death in each one of them and your reputation will live on."

"Did that glare ever work on you?" Eric wanted to know. Maggie had never seemed fazed by anything when she arrived almost a year ago.

Maggie seemed to think about it for a beat "I've seen worse." she joked casually putting her knife up on its shelf and reaching for Eric's.

Once their equipment was back in its place and locked away, they walked towards the door, about to go their separate ways.

"Tomorrow, then?" she asked, looking at Eric expectantly. He gave her that smile that was only meant for her.

"If not before." and they left, heading to their own apartments to get ready for the day ahead.


	15. Chapter 15

**I can't apologise enough for how long it's taken me to update. Between holidays, travelling around the place and recurring tonsillitis, I have also had a bad case of writer's block and I struggled a lot to even sit down for long enough to write anything.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season and that this new year brings each of you many wonderful blessings. Thanks to all who have been reading my story, I hope you continue to enjoy it xx**

 **Chapter 15**

By Friday night, Maggie was exhausted. Between her shifts on patrol, the beginnings of her medical education with Dieter, not to mention the early training sessions with Eric, Maggie's body was sore and stiff and her mind fatigued. It took the last of her energy stores to make her way back to her apartment. She hadn't even worried about dinner, thinking about how hard she would find it to have to engage in conversation with anyone right at this moment.

After unlocking her door, Maggie dragged her feet in a zombie-like fashion towards the couch where she unceremoniously flopped herself face down onto it. Without meaning to, Maggie fell into a deep sleep right were she was.

A few hours later, Ro gently tapped Maggie on the shoulder, speaking her name softly. As Maggie blinked her eyes open, she saw a plate of food in Ro's hand.

"We missed you a dinner. I thought you'd be hungry."

Maggie rolled over and sat herself up, propped on the array of cushions Ro had bought for them recently. She rubbed her face, sighing deeply, still feeling beyond tired.

"Thanks." She managed with a small smile, reaching for the plate. As she bagan eating, Ro moved about making them both a cup of tea.

"Have you spoken to anyone lately?" Ro asked her as she worked.

Maggie shook her head. "Not this week. Well, except for Eric while we train."

Ro turned around to face her, looking contemplative. "Has he said anything about Four?"

"No." Maggie's interest was piqued "Should he have?"

Ro scratched her head, looking around their makeshift coffee bar with confusion. "Do you have sugar in your tea? I can never remember."

Maggie giggled and rolled her eyes. "You've been making me tea for months now. How do you always forget?"

"That wasn't an answer."

"Milk. No sugar." After contemplating for a minute, she added "And bring that box of chocolates over for later."

Ro let out a hearty laugh at that. "Now I know why your tea order always confuses me. Why have no sugar in your tea if you're going to eat a box of chocolates with it?"

Maggie put on a mock serious tone. "Moderation, of course."

By the time Ro had finished with their cups of tea, Maggie had finished with her dinner and put the plate on the coffee table in front of her. She curled her legs up underneath her, making room for Ro to join her.

"So, why did you mention Four earlier?"

Ro handed her a cup, placing the box of chocolates next to Maggie's empty plate before sitting down next to her roommate.

"Well, you know I'm not one to gossip." Ro joked, earning a scoff from Maggie. "Right, who am I kidding?" with that, Ro turned to face Maggie, sitting with her legs crossed in front of her.

"I've been talking to Christina. She said that Tris is really worried because Four has been acting strange the last few days."

"Strange how?"

"He's not sleeping, he's barely spoken to anyone and just spends all his time in the control room. When Tris asked him about it, he went off at her and stormed off."

"Four raised his temper at Tris?" Maggie asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. I don't think it was anything serious. It's just that..."

"It's really out of character." Maggie finished. Ro nodded. "So, when did it start?" she wanted to know.

Ro shrugged "Christina thinks after his latest trip out to the factionless. That's why I asked you if Eric had said anything. He'd have clearance to know what Four found out there."

"Eric and I don't really talk about anything besides our training. And if he knows anything about Four, I doubt he'd be allowed to talk about it. He probably wouldn't even want to. They aren't exactly friends."

"Yeah, I guess so." Ro conceeded "It was just a thought."

Maggie could see the wheels still turning in Ro's mind. "I'm sure he's ok. Tris and Four are solid. They'll work it out without us getting involved."

"I won't get involved."

"Ro, you can't help yourself. But this time, please, _please_ let them work it out."

"Fine. So, have you slept with Eric yet?" The change in direction of their conversation took Maggie so much by surprise that she almost choked on her tea, having to spit it back into her cup while a coughing fit took her over. "I think that's a 'no'". Ro answered for her, sounding almost unhappy.

"You could try for a little bit of finesse, you know, Rose."

"Ooh, bringing out the full name. I must be in trouble." Ro shot at her, earning a glare from Maggie. "Fine, _Margaret_. I'm only asking because you've finally stopped running away every time you see him. And he was disappointed you weren't at dinner. He spent the whole time looking for you."

"Well, everyone will see me at the hub tomorrow." Maggie was desperate for a subjest change. In all honesty, she didn't know how to feel about Eric and the time they had been spending together. For some reason, he seemed to have power over her and she would open up to him without even thinking, only to question herself later. She never talked willingly about her family or about the things she had seen the night they were taken from her, but for some reason, there was something about him that had her wanting him to know her better. It scared her.

"Are the two of you going to have one more early morning practice session before we go?"

"Ugh! Enough already." She feigned annoyance, throwing a chocolate at Ro's head. Ro squealed and kicked Maggie before snatching a chocolate from her hands and popping it into her mouth.

"How many new recruits do you think you'll reel in because of tomorrow?"

"Hopefully enough to get me out of the patrol squads! I don't know why you like the job so much."

"I just do."

"Yeah. I know. I'm getting a bit nervous about it though. I don't know why Max wanted me to do the organizing."

"Because you're bossy and cute and it'll be impressive when the kids see someone as little as you take on a big burly guy and win." Maggie said with affection. "And your voice carries so there'll be no chance of any of them missing anything."

"Bitch!" Ro cried out, kicking Maggie again before the two of them fell into a fit of giggles.

. . . . .

The group of Dauntless soldiers gathered, waiting for the train to take them to the hub. Remembering what Ro had told her the night before, Maggie tried to discreetly watch how Four and Tris were acting and already her concern was growing. Four was standing to the edge of the group, his face grave and his stance rigid and uptight. To an outsider, he would look the same as he always does but he was amongst his closest friends and was distancing himself. Tris was standing away from him, talking to Christina. She was trying to act as though everything was normal but worry and hurt were written all over her face.

Maggie saw Tris walk over toward him but as soon as he could see her, he turned and moved further away. She looked stung, blinking rapidly and trying not to cry. Maggie's heart constricted to see her hurting. She could see Ro was feeling the same way.

"See what I mean?" she asked Maggie, getting angry at Four's behaviour.

"Yes. But it's none of our business Ro. We should stay out of it."

"If we can help them, we should!"

"Whatever they have going on, they can work it out between themselves." Maggie knew all too well how much Ro like to put herself into the middle of everyone else's problems and that in this case, it wouldn't do any good.

"Ro. They're private people. Please let them work it out on their own. Meddling in this could make it worse." She pleaded with Ro but could see how determind she was to help.

"We're their friends, Maggie. They need us and I'm surprised that you don't want to help."

Maggie was grateful to see Max and Eric walking out of the compound toward the awaiting group. They looked every bit the imposing leaders in their official uniforms and Maggie couldn't help but think how handsome it made them. It would at least distract Ro for a little while.

"Look, Max is here. Didn't you say you needed to talk to him about the plans for today?"

Maggie could see Ro noticing the older man and could almost hear her heart begin racing. Ro steeled herself, patted Maggie on the arm and made her way over to him. At least that would stop her from meddling in Four and Tris' problems when she was feeling so passionate about it.

Maggie could hear the train approaching so she gave Eric a quick nod of her head to say hello before turning around to wait for the train.

As she ran for it, she could sense his powerful body sprinting alongside her and again when they lifted themselves up simultaneously into the car. Once they were safely on the train, Eric stood beside her as they looked out at the city speeding by.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Eric asked without even bothering to say hello to her first. Maggie looked up at him, surprised that he had noticed she as troubled.

She wasn't sure she should say anything at all having only just finished telling Ro that it was none of their business and she doubted very much if Eric would know what was happening with Four. He certainly wouldn't care. It was eating away at her though and she wondered if Eric would at least respect her wishes not to talk about this to anyone else.

"Everything is fine." She lied. Straight away, she could tell he knew she was lying. His face went from looking concerned to resentful in a moment.

"If you don't want to tell me, all you have to do is say so. I don't like being lied to, Maggie." He went to turn away from her and Maggie could feel herself getting anxious about him being angry at her. She grabbed onto his arm to stop him from walking away.

"Eric." He stiffened but turned back to face her. "You're right, I'm sorry." He leaned toward her, placing his hands on the wall of the train car beside her hips, pinning her there.

"You're still not going to tell me, are you?" he spoke lowly, his voice gravelly. She shook her head.

"It isn't anything to do with me. I'm just worried about – someone." Unconsiously, Maggie cast a quick glance in Four's direction. He was standing alone, gazing out, oblivious to the people around him. Eric followed her gaze. When he looked at her again, he sighed heavily, bringing his hands up to touch her upper arms, squeezing gently. He looked at her face, looking at odds at what to say.

Maggie felt an urgent pull to cling to Eric. To hold onto him tightly and not let go. It was almost overwhelming and she had to fight herself to remember who he was. To think about the other people on the train with them and how this would look to them and to think of the mixed signals it would send to Eric. She still wasn't sure about him and if he was someone she could trust or not. Shakily, she began to speak again.

"Do you know something?" he was still touching her, his hands stroking her arms, running them up and down along her soft skin. He was standing so close to her that Maggie could feel the pace of his heart change suddenly.

"Maggie –" he began, not sure what to say.

"Does it have to do with the factionless? Has he told you."

"He hasn't said anything except that he found Edgar. If he does tell Max or I something, I don't think I'll be able to tell you. Max wouldn't give clearance to give the information out." He looked so apologetic and sincere, Maggie couldn't help but believe him.

"Eric, I know you and Four aren't friends, but could you please look out for him? If he can't tell any of us what's going on, he will need to be able to talk to someone."

"I think you'll have a better chance of him going to Max." Eric warned her. Maggie knew he was probably right.

"Even so, please Eric."

He smirked at her like he'd just figured out a puzzle and was looking arrogant all of a sudden.

"Alright then."

Maggie felt suddenly cold when Eric let go of her. When she looked away from Eric's imposing figure in front of her, she spotted Max and Ro watching them, both looking satisfied with what they were seeing. Maggie could feel her face heat up and looked away.

The rest of the train trip was spent listening to Will complaining about how Uriah had pulled a prank on him the week before, vowing to get his revenge soon.

. . . . .

Once they had arrived at the hub, everybody began helping to set up. Ro had informed them that they would start with a knife throwing demonstration, followed by shooting. They would have the fights after that and then finish the day with a brief self defence lesson.

Maggie and Tris propped the knife targets up and then measured the right distance for them to throw the knives, marking the floor with tape. Once that was done, they set up a table to put the weapons on. While they worked on this, Zeke, Four, Will and Uriah set up the fighting ring while Eric, Ro and Christina went up to the roof to get the shooting equipment ready. Max was waiting at the front of the hub to greet the students.

Maggie was hopeful that today would be successful in inspiring others to join dauntless and help against the factionless. She also hoped it would be a good distraction for Tris and Four. She liked Tris a lot and hated seeing her so down but wasn't as comfortable with approaching her about it as she would be with Four, she she kept her thoughts to herself, wishing that Tris knew she had people who cared and that she always had someone to talk to if she needed to.

When Eric and the girls had returned from the roof, that same cocky look he had before was there again, but this time it looked amplified. She could see Ro and Christina looking smug about something as well. Eric spotted her and began his usual strut over while the girls looked at each other, before Ro looked at Maggie, winked and went to Will and Uriah.

"You three sure look happy." Maggie stated when Eric reached her. "I think having a threesome on the roof of the hub might be frowned upon."

Eric's grin widened "That hasn't stopped me before." He winked at her.

"Manwhore." She grumbled out, causing him to laugh.

"Ro sure is interesting, isn't she?" he stated, causing her to pale.

"What did she say to you?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." He winked and moved to the front of the room as they could hear Max's booming voice coming from outside and the distinct sound of many feet shuffling up the stairs. Maggie stood in line beside the rest of the dauntless group. Before the swarm of students could file into the room, Maggie leaned over to whisper to Ro.

"What did you and Eric talk about up on the roof?"

"You." She whispered back, unashamed.

"What about me?"

"It was a private conversation and none of your business."

Maggie had to mask her frustration as the room was beginning to fill up. It was time to look imposing.

Max began to make his speech, introducing himself and Eric before talking a little about the factionless war and what it meant to choose Dauntless. He then called Ro up and she began to ready the group for the demonstrations to come.

. . . . .

The day was going well and Maggie enjoyed seeing the looks of excitement and purpose on the faces of the students gathered to watch them. There were some she was already certain they would be seeing on the roof on choosing day. Ro was doing well at inspiring them and Maggie was hopeful that she would do well enough to get herself out of patrol duty soon.

Maggie had thought Eric was a great knife thrower but even his skills paled compared to Tris's technique. She was graceful and sure, with every throw she made and was impressing more than just the young dependents.

By the time Maggie had to face off against Eric in a fight, she had shaken off her earlier embarrassment and was focused on winning. She could hear the shocked whispers of some of the young students when they first saw a large mountain of a man about to fight against a small looking woman. Some were scared for her, others leaned forward in their seats in anticipation. She simply nodded at Eric, getting into her ready stance. He gave her a quick wink before readying himself.

Max called the fight to start and the two in the ring began circling each other. Eric moved to strike first but Maggie dodged and countered, hitting him in the ribs. He recovered quickly and faked a right hook, getting her with a left uppercut instead. On and on they went looking to be an exciting match-up with Eric's brute strength and Maggie's quick reflexes and sure skill.

Eventually, Eric swept Maggie's feet out from under her, moving to pin her to the ground with his own weight as she landed with a thud. Maggie quickly brought her knee up to stop him from pinning her completely and they continued their fight grappling on the ground switching between overpowering and out-smarting each other.

Just like it had been happening at an increasing rate whenever she was around him, Maggie began to feel the intoxicating effects of Eric's close proximity. She could feel the shift in his taut muscles each time he moved, their heartbeats almost combining as they fought against each other. The mental work Maggie was putting in to remember herself and where she was began to take away from her ability to strategise.

Before she realized what he was doing, Eric got her in an arm hold, forcing her to tap out. She couldn't help but feel disappointed in herself for getting so distracted by him. That was until she saw that beautiful boyish smile on his face, looking almost relieved that he hadn't publicly lost to her. In that moment, she found she didn't mind losing so much. As long as it didn't happen every day.

Panting heavily, he heaved himself up from the mats on the floor and extended his hand to help her up. She took it and was lifted easily to her feet. He shook her hand firmly before relinquishing it, congratulating her on a good fight. Once they had moved to the side of the ring, waiting to watch the final fight between Christina and Ro they sat down next to each other.

"You had me worried for a minute." Eric leaned in and whispered to her, making her smile.

"Well you did say you might have to pay me to throw the fight."

He looked up, suddenly worried. "You didn't..?"

Maggie couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him squirming at the thought.

"Of course not! You fought well. Like you always do. But I want a rematch. I think if I'd had a knife at the end, you wouldn't have won so easily." She nudged him with her shoulder and he leaned into her.

"Hmmm, a knife fight with you. Sounds like fun." Without moving away from each other, they watched as Ro and Christina fought. Maggie had trouble concentrating on anything other than the feel of Eric's leg resting beside hers, his arm behind her, slung over the back of her chair. It felt so natural but unnerving at the same time, like he was born to both comfort and torment her in every moment.

Every now and then, he would discretely run his thumb across her shoulder, causing her to sharply inhale each time, much to his satisfaction. By the time he had to stand up and take the self defense lesson, Maggie was about ready to jump out of her skin. She didn't know how she felt about this man beside her but she was beginning to wonder if she would be able to ignore her attraction to him for much longer.

"I look forward to our rematch." He whispered as he moved away. As she observed him working with Four and Ro, teaching the students the basics, Maggie couldn't help but realize that she would have to face her feelings soon or risk possibly missing out on something that could be good. She could recognize the tell-tale uneasiness she alway felt when she became attracted to someone fill up inside her, causing her to get jittery and restless. She got up, working on packing up the supplies they had brought with them from dauntless, just to distract herself from panicking.

 _I need to get a grip._ She told herself, knowing it wouldn't help her at all but trying nonetheless. In no time, all the knives, guns, targets and other assortment of items had been bagged up and placed by the door, waiting for the dauntless members to carry back with them to the train. She looked over in time to see a pair of girls eyeing Eric and whispering animatedly to each other, giggling like silly little girls with their first crush.

He was demonstrating the basic arm bar on Four, the muscles in his arms bulging as he moved with a confident grace that Maggie couldn't help but admire right along with the two younger girls. It was clear to see that Eric knew the school girls were marveling at him and enjoyed the attention, exaggerating every movement that showed off his body and his brute strength. Maggie began to feel her blood boil observing the spectacle the girls were making over their instructor. She marched over to them, tapping them both on their shoulders.

"If you can't take the most basic lessons seriously, then you don't belong in Dauntless. We won't waste out time on anyone who makes a mockery of our classes and can't be serious enough to listen to more than two words spoken together!" her outburst didn't have its desired affect on the girls, who instead of being chastised, had to fight the urge to laugh in Maggie's face. Maggie rolled her eyes and moved to the back of the room. Thankfully, Eric hadn't seen what could possibly be interpreted as an act of jealousy. Unfortunately though, the ever observant Four was regarding her from where he stood and she knew she had basically just outed her feelings to him.

. . . . .

Maggie was sitting on the train with her back resting against the wall opposite the open door. As she had predicted earlier, Four came over, sitting down next to her. They sat for a while, watching the others as they jeered and wrestled each other, laughing happily at how well the day had gone. Maggie was glad for Ro, who had organized a fun and informative day for the hub's older students but she was still feeling out of sorts and Four's direct gaze wasn't helping.

"You ok?" he asked her, looking over to Eric, who was thankfully at the opposite end of the car, deep in conversation with Max. Maggie rested her head back on the wall behind her, closing her eyes slowly.

"I should be asking you that." She countered, opening her eyes to look pointedly at him. He looked down at his hands, keeping quiet. Maggie decided to go with the less dangerous subject.

"I think I might have, stupidly, become interested in Eric." She told him. He gave her a humourless laugh.

"Stupidly." She wasn't sure if she should feel insulted or thankful at his answer.

"Is it so wrong?" she wasn't sure she had picked the wisest conundrum for them to talk about after all. "Is he really that bad a guy? He's been good to me. Lately at least."

"I don't know, Maggie. You're good and kind and have so much going for you." Maggie could feel a lump form in her throat. She didn't want him to tell her that Eric wasn't good enough for her. She was too damaged to be worthy of anyone. "Eric is...I don't know. He's just so cruel and rough. I don't want to see you hurt. None of us do."

"That's what you don't realize about me, Four." Maggie turned to him, her eyes wide and glistening. "I'm always hurting. Every day." She drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. It was something she didn't like people to know about her. That the pain of her past was with her every day. It was such a big part of her, it was in her and she couldn't escape it. Such a weakness could surely be used against her.

Four took her hand in his and squeezed it.

"I know." He told her, voice pained.

"Are you ok?" she turned the conversation around. "We've all noticed you've been a little off lately." Four didn't say anything.

"You know Four, just like you said nobody wants to see me hurt, the same goes for you. I know some things are hard to talk about but if you need someone to listen, you know I'm around."

Four nodded. "Thanks."


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for your patience. The start of our year has been a busy one but I'm finally back to writing again.**

 **Chapter 16**

Two months had passed since the demonstration at the hub. Choosing day had come and gone and much to Ro's relief, she had inspired a good number of initiates to choose Dauntless. She was gratefully back to her tattoo apprenticeship full time, and back to full time gossiping and meddling in everyone else's business with Christina. They had tirelessly interfered with Uriah and Marlene, the nurse he had been casually dating until they became an official couple and were so proud of their accomplishment that they resolved to find love for Zeke. After several disaster dates with women who shared nothing in common with him, he had finally politely told them to back the hell off and was happily taking a break from dating. Maggie had been so busy with her field medic training that she had barely had the chance to share one meal with them each week, not leaving Ro or Christina enough time to really think about her love life and so, she had been spared the embarrassment of their matchmaking.

Four had been taking the new initiates through their basic training so hadn't been out to the factionless sector for some time. He had slowly begun acting like his old self although Maggie had no doubts that something huge was going on with him. She had spoken with Tris a few times about it and she had confirmed that he was still hiding something from her. Both Maggie and Tris felt disappointed that he had chosen not to confide in them, causing their worry to grow, especially at his failing attempts to pretend everything was fine.

Although Maggie had been so busy, it did little to squash her growing attraction to Eric. He had been working around the clock as well so the only times she had seen him were in passing when they could just manage a quick hello. He'd flash her a smile and they'd be off to their separate jobs. That was, except for one night about a week ago.

Maggie had been staying late in the infirmary, helping Dieter with patching up initiates. They had begun the fighting stage of basic training and many were sustaining regular injuries, keeping the medical staff busy. Maggie enjoyed the work and liked getting to know the newest members of her beloved faction. The experience she was gaining in working during this time was much more helpful to her learning than anything she had read in her mountains of text books.

It was late by the time she finished up with a bad sprain and minor cuts and bruising to the last fighter of the day. She had missed dinner, not for the first time that week, but knew Ro would have saved her something. Before she reached the housing sector, Maggie could hear heavy footsteps behind her. On instinct, she turned around and saw Eric half-stumbling to clumsily catch up to her. When he saw her watching him, he smiled, attempting to saunter imposingly over to her, but failing as he swayed off to the side.

"Looks like you've had a big night." She observed, trying not to laugh at his inebriated state.

Eric smirked when he reached her, looking proud he'd made it that far. "Just blowing off some steam, Ivor. Thought I'd borrow your friends for the night since you were working. Have you ever tried a Uri special?"

Maggie laughed and then cringed, remembering "Yeah, I'm familiar with it. I think you've seen photographic evidence of the last time I have a few of those."

"Oh, that's right. Now that I think about it, your little buddy was flashing that picture around again tonight." He was close again. Impossibly close to her without their skin touching. She could feel the warmth of him radiating out to her. Smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Oh, so you had to bring it up to mortify me about it!" playfully bantering back at him. "I'm sure you'll look as much a mess as I did come morning."

"You want to be there to find out?" His voice deepened through the question as he reached out, hand splayed across her side to pull her to him. Her stomach flipped at his flirting. She couldn't deny, even half falling-down drunk he was still desirable. Still sexy.

"I can't remember if I'd fallen out of bed yet by the time Uri took that picture…" Maggie tried to turn the conversation back to innocent playfulness. It seemed Eric had other ideas as he cupped her jaw with his hand, looking sobered momentarily.

"I don't remember. You looked cute though. You always do. His other hand came up to her upper chest, over her rapidly beating heart.

" Eric." Maggie warned, her heart only half in it.

"You're so beautiful."

Before he could lean in to kiss her, Maggie put her own hand up to his chest, stilling him.

"You're drunk."

Eric closed his eyes, "I never see you anymore." He whispered.

Maggie didn't know how to answer him so she stayed silent. As time stretched on, she could feel the awkward tension between them building to a point she could barely stand.

"I should go. Goodnight Eric." He didn't move from his spot, jaw tight. Maggie wondered how big of a mistake she might be making walking away from him right now. It was too late to turn back though and she wasn't sure what would happen if she did.

Since then, nothing. She had still been working extra hours, not seeing him anywhere, not even in passing and regret was blooming in her mind.

Maggie hadn't told Ro about that incident and it was just as well because she and Christina would have a field day. At least now that she had gotten a lot of the theory work of her training done and out of the way, she could focus on the fun stuff. Dieter was going to join the patrol squads with Maggie for a while as she applied her new knowledge out where she would be using it. That thankfully meant that she no longer had to juggle between working her usual shifts and then going in to the infirmary. She could have some down time again and all she could think about was sleep.

. . . . .

It had been over two months since Four had been here in the factionless sector, face to face with his mother. If he were being honest, he had needed that time to get a handle on the inner turmoil that revelation had caused. He had always loved his time training the new initiates but this year, it had been his lifeline and he had thrown himself into the task completely until he could act like everything was normal. He even thought he'd managed to reassure Tris that he was ok. It had killed him to shut her out of this. He wasn't really sure why he couldn't tell her but it felt like the right thing to do somehow so he had lied to her along with everyone else. As far as all of Dauntless knew, Four had tracked down Edgar but they had no plans to meet again anytime soon.

He had officially wrapped up basic training with the initiates the day before and now that they continued with more in-depth training with another instructor, Four was back to full time in the control room and now had little else to distract him. This was why he found himself returning. He had practiced different variations of the same speech to chastise Evelyn countless times already but the closer he got to the spot he stood face to face with her, the more of his speech he forgot.

"Yo! Eaton junior!" the obnoxious voice that could only belong to Edgar echoed around him. "Bout time you came back."

Four clenched his jaw, already regretting being here.

"Where is she?"

"Wait here." Edgar instructed "I don't think you're ready for the grand tour just yet."

"Thank you Edgar but I'll be the judge of that." Evelyn popped up out of nowhere, silencing her mouthy goon. "Good morning Tobias." She greeted her son.

He nodded in response, still wary of her. Evelyn was aware of the many eyes now on them. "Let's take a walk. You must have a lot of questions you didn't ask on our last meeting." She suggested.

"Yeah because as soon as he saw you, he ran off like a little bitch." Edgar taunted. Four didn't react to him at all but instead, stepped up beside Evelyn, gesturing for her to lead the way. As Edgar went to follow, Evelyn stopped.

"That will be all for now, Edgar." Her dismissal clearly not making Edgar very happy as his face reddened and his lips pinched together to keep from speaking out.

The duo walked out of the building, leaving a fuming Edgar behind. Curiously, they walked around to the back entrance of the same ruined building. This one was almost unrecognizable as a door as it had been smashed down by one of the bombs from the war that almost ruined the city long ago. It was crushed down to the height of a small child and completely surrounded by rubble and dust. Evelyn crouched to walk through it but being a small woman, managed to do so gracefully. Four had a lot more height and the small space was uncomfortable to maneuver.

On the other side, the room looked as crushed and abandoned as the outside.

"I want to show you something." Evelyn told him as she led on. Four had little choice but to follow her. She walked across the room to a staircase. Instead of climbing the stairs, which looked like they would break under the weight of the slightest person, Evelyn revealed a small opening in the wall beside it. It was so well concealed that Four wouldn't have known it was there without her.

When he inspected what was awaiting him beyond the secret door, Four could make out a dark set of stairs going deep underneath the building. There was little light to tell just how far down they went.

Evelyn descended into the darkness beyond first. Knowing this could be the information dauntless had been seeking out for decades, Four continued in her wake. The further down they went, the harder it was for Four to see and he felt glad about it, sensing the were at a great height above their destination. Still, he kept quiet, waiting for his mother to enlighten him as to where they were going.

Finally, Four could make out artificial light coming from just below them. He walked down the final steps and could see a gloomy corridor lit by old fashioned torches. They passed several more before reaching a large cave-like opening. Four's eyes widened in wonder at the enormity of the space they found themselves in. It was every bit as large as the pit, only darker, relying on the light of torches to illuminate it. It was also bustling with people. More factionless than Four could have imagined existed.

"What is this place?" he asked her, awestruck.

"It's home." Evelyn replied, taking hold of his wrist to guide him further. "Come on, I'll show you where I live."

They wound around the outer edge of the cavern, avoiding the many people gathered around. There were more steps along the wall that Four hadn't noticed before now. They climbed them to a second level where a crude hallway of sorts greeted them. It was more or less a rougher, unpolished version of the Dauntless housing sector. If anyone could call Dauntless polished. When Evelyn unlocked the door at the very end of the hall, she looked back at him and smiled, opening it for him to see inside.

It was a two story apartment with the main living space down below and rickety wooden stairs leading to the bedroom above. It was coarse and plain but looked comfortable enough, not to mention well lived in.

"So this is it then? This is what you left me for?" suddenly, he felt angry, his blood growing hot in his veins.

"Tobias," Evelyn's calm voice answered "I couldn't stay there with your father. He would have killed me with his abuse." The words came from her lips automatically, without emotion as if they had been rehearsed a thousand times.

"What do you think he did to me as soon as you were gone?"

"I didn't think he would hurt his own son. He loved you!"

"I didn't need his kind of love." Four's fists were clenched at his sides as he tried to reign in years of suppressed anger and hurt. "The kind of love where he would beat me with his belt, with his boot or anything else he could get his hands on! The kind of love that made him lock me in the closet until I almost starved and was too afraid to make a sound. You left a six year old child in that son of a bitch's hands. You left me there to die!"

"Tobias, please – "

Four pounded his fist into the door frame "You don't get to call me that. My name's Four." He was seething as he stalked from the room.

He spent the next few hours exploring the cavern, this place the factionless called home before Evelyn came to find him sitting on a step near the top of the large room. She sat down next to him, neither one game to speak, so they watched the people down below, going about their business.

Four saw Edgar rambling away at a small group, gesturing wildly, his displeasure clear in his tone and actions.

"He seems like a loose canon." Four stated. He didn't know how else to begin a conversation with this woman. She was virtually a stranger to him and he felt nervous.

"He can be a bit vulgar at times." She admitted "But he's loyal." Her choice of word made Four scoff.

"I wouldn't think you'd know the meaning of the word."

"Can we please not do this again? I was young and scared. I didn't know what else to do but fake my death and run." Four shot her a dark look from the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry." Her apology came years too late and did nothing to ease Four's resentment but he decided to drop it for now.

"So this is where the factionless have been hiding."

"This is where we live, yes."

"Do you have any idea how long Dauntless have been searching for this place. And you just let me walk right in." he should have felt uneasy about that. After all, this woman was a stranger to him. For all he knew, she might not let him back out again.

"I want you to come live here with me."

"That's not an option." He declined without a second thought.

"We need your help." She confessed. Four couldn't believe what he was hearing. Evelyn sensed the tension radiating from him and sighed "Tobias. Four. The factionless have a great vision for how the city could be and if you'll hear me out, I think you'll want the same thing we do."

"What is that exactly?"

"Let me show you."

. . . . .

When Maggie's first Saturday off in weeks rolled around, her body awoke like clockwork at 4:30am. She lay there in bed for almost an hour, trying to will herself to get some more sleep. When she had determined that it wouldn't cooperate, Maggie rolled out of bed. She hadn't gotten to work out in a while so she might as well do that. She was prepared to feel the hurt of her unused muscles by the time she was done for the morning. She was also ready to feel that pain for the next few days. What she wasn't prepared for was seeing Eric working the bags as she walked into they gym. He looked like he had been at it for a while as his body dripped with sweat, the dark tank he wore stuck to his skin, long soaked and showing every ripple of sculpted muscle. Maggie could feel that familiar ache deep down as she admired him. Nerves began to take her over but before she had the chance to flee, Eric turned around and spotted her.

He stopped what he was doing and approached her, slowly, deliberately, like the predator he was. She couldn't run even if she wanted to, so was the power of his gaze on her. The connection growing stronger the closer he got. When he reached her, they both stood, watching each other.

Maggie was a bundle of nervous energy, so she blurted out the first thing that came into her head.

"I don't suppose you're up for that rematch?"

He regarded her for a moment, mulling if over before answering "Sure." He sounded equally as awkward as she felt. "Knives, right?"

Maggie nodded. Eric turned toward the storage cupboard. "Warm up." He told her as he went to get what they needed. Maggie went to the ring and started stretching before doing a quick lap around the gym. As she returned to the ring, Eric handed her a small knife. He didn't need to go over the rules with her. He had seen her win her fair share during initiation.

The pair squared off, preparing to begin their fight. Maggie was already full of restless energy and took no time in making the first move, lunging toward her larger opponent. He blocked her with his unarmed side, then stepped out of her range. She attacked again, this time almost nicking Eric in the torso. He jabbed at her, again with his free hand, getting a solid hit into her ribs.

"Come on, Maggie. You can do better than that." He taunted, anticipating another attack. Maggie could feel the awkwardness rush out of her body, replaced with her usual keen fighting instinct. This time, she waited foe Eric to make the move.

It didn't take him long to make a shallow swipe at her lower abdomen, not getting anywhere close to her.

"What's the matter Eric? Scared you're gonna hurt me?" Eric gave a quick chuckle, feigning a move to her right. As Maggie went to protect herself from the attack, Eric was suddenly out of her sight and then, she could feel his blade as he pressed it into her back while he stood gripping her from behind.

"You were saying?" Eric breathed into her ear, making her skin tingle and her loins pulse. She couldn't remember ever being turned on by a knife fight before. She reminded herself that now was not the time to let herself be overcome by need and she tried to think of a way out of his hold.

Her legs were free from any form of confinement, so she could always use their strength to kick her way free. If she stepped back quickly enough, it would give her a small window to unbalance Eric, but that would be a dangerous idea while he held a knife in his hand. She wondered if it would be at all possible that Eric could be as easily distracted in a fight as she seemed to be whenever she was against him.

She gently leaned herself back, careful to avoid the blade as she turned her head to look at him. Her nose grazed his neck and she could feel his pulse. She could see that he was watching her intently and she leaned into him, softly brushing her lips against the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

Eric's grip on her slackened, his knife forgotten as he let it drop to the floor. His now free hand gently moving ever so slightly under her training shirt, caressing the skin on her hipbone. Maggie smirked, sweeping her leg passed Eric's and knocking him off balance. He didn't fall but is was enough to get her free from his hold to turn and face him. Eric growled, almost painfully pushing her up against a nearby post. The smile never left Maggie's face though, as she still held her knife in her hand. She brought it up against his neck, pressing just enough to nick the skin there ever so slightly.

"I win." She whispered smugly, and it was only then that she noticed the fire in Eric's eyes. They were burning as lustfully as she knew hers had been only moments before. He grabbed hold of her wrist, pulling the knife away from his neck before tossing it away.

Before she could react, Eric's lips were on hers, kissing her almost forcefully. It was then that Maggie truly forgot herself. Forgot where she was and all the horrors of her past. There was no grief, no anger, just her and Eric and her raw need to be with him. Her hands moved up his shoulders, his neck and finally to his hair, grabbing on to pull him even closer to her as she kissed him back with a fevered passion she never knew she possessed.

Eric pushed his body against hers, pinning her against the post as he explored her body with his hands. He broke the kiss, moving his lips to her jaw, kissing and gently biting his way down her neck. Maggie tugged at his hair to pull him back to her waiting lips, kissing him heatedly. Eric moved his hands to the back of her thighs, lifting her up and instinctively Maggie wrapped her legs around his waist tightly, feeling her back being pushed against the post again.

She let out a soft moan when she felt Eric grind his hips into hers, loving the friction between them. Without breaking their kiss, Eric moved Maggie away from the post she had been leaning on and carried her to a table near the knife targets to sit her down on the edge of it.

Needing to feel Eric's skin against hers, Maggie tugged on the bottom of his shirt, pulling it upward. Eric broke away from her, only long enough to lift his arms as Maggie pulled the shirt up over his head. When he moved in to press his lips to hers again, he slowed his pace. This time, instead of the frantic, wanton need, he kissed her slow, with a firm gentleness. As his tongue gently caressed her own, Maggie could feel her body respond, her panties soaking through with her want for him.

She moaned again, pulling him in closer with her thighs and wrapped them even tighter around his torso. She could feel him harden with his need and jerked her hips into his earning a deep rumbling growl from the beautiful man standing before her. His fingers went underneath her shirt again, exploring the soft skin of her abdomen, her hips and then, her lower back. Inch by inch, Eric slowly lifted the fabric of Maggie's shirt all the while sensuously kissing and touching her.

Maggie was losing patience at Eric's slow pace, trying to help him along but her grabbed onto her hand, shaking his head as he smirked knowingly at her. When her shirt was finally off, Eric placed his palm on the underside of her bra, his thumb inching up underneath the fabric.

His lips left hers and he began their descent to her collarbone. His hands behind her, unclasping her bra and dragging the straps off her shoulders gently with his fingertips. When it too was on the floor, Eric took a step back, taking her almost naked body in with his eyes. As he moved forward again, he began tugging on the top of Maggie's leggings. She supported her weight by bringing her arms around his neck and lifted her hips off the table as Eric pulled her leggings and panties off as one.

"Fucking perfect." He murmured looking at her once more before latching his lips around her nipple, kissing, sucking and grazing it with his teeth.

"Ah, fuck." Maggie whispered out at the pleasure his ministrations were giving her. She clung to him as best she could, feeling like she could explode by this alone. He shifted his attention to the other one, taking his time to give it the same attention as the first. Maggie gasping and panting all the while. She moved to unclasp the button of his pants but he anticipated her, bringing her hands together behind her back and holding them both in place with one of his own. She couldn't stand waiting anymore. She needed him.

"Eric, please." She begged. His hooded eyes looked up at her, he searched her face, recognizing her desire. He rose up again, kissing her hard as he unzipped his pants, freeing his erection. With his other hand, he reached into his back pocket, bringing out a small foil packet. He opened it and rolled the condom down over his length. With her hands now free again, Maggie wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him toward her and he complied, resting his forehead against hers as he rubbed his hardened length against her wet and ready opening.

As he slowly inched himself inside her, they both let out gasps of pleasure. Once he was buried deep inside, Maggie began rocking her hips against his, needing more of that delicious friction. Eric complied, thrusting his hips up against her and could feel her gripping him tightly, her fingernails digging into his back. He tugged her hair free from its side braid, watching as it unraveled in waves down her shoulders and back. He grabbed a fist full, pulling her backward so that she was leaning against her arms and he could enjoy the view of her taught body coupling with his own.

He had set an easy pace, each move deliberate, feeling and enjoying Maggie's reactions. Every nerve in his body was stimulated as they fucked. He savored the feel of her flawless skin against his own as she surrounded him with her arms, her thighs and her tight pussy. Before long, Maggie quickened their pace and Eric could feel himself getting close. Watching Maggie tilt her head back thoroughly enjoying the ride was going to make him blow his load in no time. He was grateful to feel her walls tightening and begin to pulse as Maggie pulled herself upright, grabbing onto the back of Eric's neck, coming with silent breaths and moans. It was enough to tip him over the edge, gripping every part of her he could hold onto as they reached their peak together.

As the aftershocks of their orgasms faded away, Eric was still holding onto Maggie waiting for his labored breathing to slow. He kissed her so gently it was like he was a completely different man than the one from moments before. Now sated and able to think clearly again, the reality of their actions sunk in and Maggie could feel the grips of panic trying to take her over. She pushed Eric away from her, gathering her scattered clothing and dressing as quickly as she could. Eric stood watching on and had only managed to refasten his zipper before Maggie had righted herself. She turned and gave him a last fleeting look before she fled for the door leaving Eric stunned and confused in her wake.

 **So…that just happened. I have been freaking out about this chapter and trying to get it right. I've never written a sex scene before so I hope it turned out well. Please review ;)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Maggie ran and ran, rushing passed the new gym and mess hall, almost knocking over several shocked bystanders. She only stopped when she tripped and nearly fell down into the chasm. It was there that she paused to take a breath, hyperventilating and trying to stop herself from thinking about how she had just spent her morning.

 _What have I done?_ She was finding it hard to fathom letting herself give in so completely to her attraction to a man. She had never lost control like that before. What must Eric think of her right now? What would he do? She wasn't sure if he was the type of man to speak openly about his sexual conquests. Was she ashamed of being with Eric in particular? Or was it the notion that she would throw herself at anyone at all that had her reeling?

Either way, Maggie knew now was not the time to deal with the situation. She needed to calm down and think about anything else until it wasn't so fresh. She took one last deep breath, kicked a loose rock down into the rushing water below and watched as it disappeared from sight. When she felt more in control, she walked back to her apartment. In the sanctuary of her own room, Maggie decided to grab a shower and get out of her apartment quickly before risking Eric coming there to find her.

After she was clean and dressed, Maggie looked in the small mirror in her bathroom, checking for any sign of her earlier distress. Her eyes were wide and bright, her skin lightly flushed. All of Maggie's good friends would only have to take one look at her to know that something was up with her so she knew better than to hide out or distract herself with them. Instead, she decided that even though it was her day off, she might as well get in a few more hours of training in the infirmary. It would all go towards her required training hours so she would be able to finish all the sooner by going in. Besides, even if Dieter noticed the state Maggie was in, he would keep his questions to himself. Dieter was good like that.

She walked the long way around to the infirmary, avoiding her usual routes to get there, very aware of how ridiculous it was to so actively avoid Eric.

 _It was only sex for goodness sake!_ She reminded herself. But it wasn't only sex and that was the problem. Her encounter with Eric seemed different somehow. Not only in the act itself, in how in-sync they had been and how amazing every moment had felt physically but in how he had somehow made her forget everything but the two of them. How right being in his arms had felt and how oh-so-wrong it was. Eric Coulter was not the sort of man she should be having these feelings for.

When she reached the infirmary, Maggie walked passed the waiting room and examination area and on through to the back office belonging to her mentor. She knocked on the frame of the door and saw the doctor's head snap up.

"Maggie?" he looked at her, confused. He seemed groggy and unfocused.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she knew that she had and felt guilty for it. She wasn't the only one with an increased workload since her training began. Dieter was also running himself into the ground to cover all the new work being thrown at him.

"No, it's fine. Been a big night."

"You look exhausted!" Maggie gave her honest opinion, knowing he wouldn't appreciate anything else.

"There was a brawl at the pub last night. One of the outer wall crews blowing off some steam, the whole lot of them came to blows with some of the rookies. I've been patching them up most of the night."

Maggie had become accustomed to Dieter's broken sentences when he was dead on his feet and she was glad to understand the gist of what he'd been doing.

"It looks like everything is under control out there now. Why don't you go get some sleep. I can take over here."

Dieter sighed, suddenly looking even more tired than Maggie could ever remember seeing him.

"Thanks." He said to her, patting her shoulder before he was gone. Maggie got ready to take over his rounds and smiled to herself. At least she would be busy enough to be distracted from the Eric situation for a few hours.

. . . . .

Eric stood in that spot for longer than he cared to admit. That same spot where Maggie had last looked at him before once again fleeing – literally fleeing – from him. Why did she keep running away from him? He had thought she was past all that. This morning had been incredible. Unexpected, sure but he wouldn't change a thing about it. This thing between them had been building for a while. What was Maggie expecting to happen?

Shaking his head and feeling frustrated, Eric retrieved his shirt from the floor, putting it back on. He ran a hand through his hair, the sweat already dried. Checking his watch, Eric noticed he had been in the gym for four and a half hours already. How much of that time had he spent staring at the door? He didn't like this version of himself. The sad guy mooning over a woman, trying to change himself to be good enough for her. She always kept him second guessing everything and normally that was what he liked about her but now, she was feeling a little too exhausting.

He didn't feel like dealing with this right now. He went to the locker room of the new gym, grabbed some clean clothes and jumped in a shower there before heading into his office to try and forget about the beautiful, troubled woman messing with his head.

Out of nowhere, five hours had gone by and Eric had completed a week's worth of his work and had started on some of Max's that he was hoping to delegate anyway. Now he'd have a smooth running go of paperwork for the next seven days provided nothing too crazy happened. By then, it was almost five in the afternoon and Eric's eyes felt like they would begin to go crossed if he had to look over any more papers.

He groaned and stretched his arms over his head, looking up to see Max watching him intently from his own office across the hall. The older man stood up and made his way over, leaning against the doorframe.

"You've been hard at it today. I thought I told you to take the day off." He looked serious, his face a mixture of disapproval and concern. Eric didn't answer him, simply rubbing his eyes and groaning again.

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"As soon as there is something to talk about, Max, I promise you'll be the first to know." Max arched a brow, clearly not satisfied with that answer.

"Well, your weekend begins now and I don't want to see you back in here until Tuesday morning. You've worked too many hours this week. I need you rested." He sounded stern and Eric began feeling guilty. He knew he was breaking regulation by working over his hours. A tired leader made poor decisions and that affected the entire faction.

It wasn't often anymore that Eric had to see that look directed at him and it made him feel even worse about his situation. He shut his computer down, taking papers to their files and tidying up. Max stood observing him the whole time and Eric knew that Max could tell something was going on with him. He was tempted to ask his boss for advise. The words were on the tip of his tongue, wanting desperately to come out, to take away some of the burden Eric was feeling.

But he didn't. Instead he gave Max a respectful nod of his head, told him he would see him on Tuesday and left. But where to? It was still early so dinner would only just be brought out and Eric hated the early rush. He realized he hadn't eaten all day but he had no appetite anyway. Instead, he walked to the pub to get a couple of shots into him.

. . . . .

Maggie was getting Marlene up to date with the stats of each patient before her work was done for the day. She felt a sense of accomplishment that she had clocked in eight extra hours off her training time, meaning that she would get signed off a day early from working this shift alone. She saw Uriah sneak in to see his new lady, and decided to wait until he and Marlene were done and walk out with him.

"Pub tonight?" he asked her as they were leaving.

A few drinks sounded good to Maggie. She'd been on her feet all day, busy with last nights patients as well as some new ones throughout her shift. She had been busy enough to suppress many thoughts of her morning with Eric.

"Sure. Who else is going?"

"Just about everybody. Except for Marlene." He sounded sullen. Maggie looked at her oldest friend and liked the look of love he was giving off.

"You and Marlene look really happy."

"She's one lucky woman." He answered in true Uriah style. Cocky and not the least bit serious.

"You're an idiot."

"So what's up with you? I thought it was your day off?"

"I saw Dieter this morning looking like he was falling asleep standing up. Thought I'd help him out." Maggie tried for nonchalance, knowing she probably failed to fool him. The look he gave her said as much. She broke his eye contact and began walking faster, all the better to get out of Uriah's scrutiny.

When they got to the pub, Maggie could see that most of their group were already there. All but Ro were sitting in their usual booth and it didn't escape Maggie's attention that stern and troubled Four was back at the forefront and Tris looked miserable to see her man so unlike himself. As they sat down, her heart did a somersault seeing Ro dragging a rather pissed off looking Eric to join them.

His already annoyed face hardened when he locked eyes on her and Maggie visibly tensed, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. It was too much to hope that their friends had missed the awkward exchange.

"Oh, shit! You guys had sex didn't you!" Uriah's voice boomed out so loud, it was a miracle the entire pub didn't pause to stare at them. As it was, all of Maggie's nearest and dearest friends stopped and regarded Maggie and Eric before Ro banged her drink down squealing while the rest of the group gave out varying reactions to this bit of news.

Maggie could swear she could feel the blood heating up her face, flushing it to the brightest shade of red. Eric looked equally as uncomfortable under the scrutiny, much to Maggie's surprise. Uriah was somehow oblivious to the discomfort he was causing them. Either that or he didn't care as he sat between the mortified pair and brought an arm around each of them.

"Soooo. How was it?" he teased as the others sat, waiting with baited breath to hear the sordid details. Once neither of them answered, Ro joined in on Uriah's fun.

"What's with all this tension guys? Surely it wasn't bad..."

"Rose.." Maggie whispered out, pleading for her to put an end to her goading. Ro at least looked like she felt guilty and Maggie could feel her reach out from under the table and take her hand in silent apology.

"Oh, don't tell us Maggie ran away!" Zeke's exclamation was aimed at Eric who didn't need to answer for Zeke to know he'd gotten to the bottom of their problem. He patted Eric on the shoulder. "Don't take it the wrong way, buddy. Maggie only ever runs from the people she likes the most."

Maggie couldn't take the group effort of humiliation and buried her face in her arms which were folded on the table.

"Oh no." She muttered under her breath. She couldn't take seeing how Eric would react to that statement. Nor did she want to hear the direction Zeke's speech was heading in.

"Uriah, do you remember when I caught the two of you in the act of deflowering each other?" Eric choked on his drink, spitting it out over Zeke's face while coughing and spluttering through his shock.

"Wait, you and him?" he asked Maggie, gesturing to Uri, who was still sitting between the two of them. "I mean, I always assumed. But you guys never talk about it."

"Yeah, we were together for a couple years back when we were both dependents. When Zeke walked in on us, Maggie took off and hid. No one could find her for three days." Maggie could feel the scrutiny of Eric's gaze on her but she didn't move. She was a mixture of hurt and anger at her friends talking so openly about her private life. She wasn't here to be their amusement.

"Well, I'll be going now." Maggie jumped from her seat and was surprised to see all the girls rise to follow. In spite of her humiliation, Maggie couldn't help but smile to see Ro smack Zeke on the back of his head as she walked out.

"Men are fucking idiots!" Christina cried out once they were out of the pub. "Are you ok?"

Maggie nodded, unable to find her voice.

"Come on. We keep liquor in the parlour." Ro told them, taking Maggie by the arm. Christina led the way and Maggie followed behind with Ro and Tris linking arms with her as they walked.

. . . . .

Maggie wondered back to her apartment slowly in the early hours of the morning. She had enjoyed the past few hours with the girls, shit talking at the men's expense and dancing to loud, angry music. Surprisingly, by the time they got to the parlour, none of them felt like cracking into the liquor, opting to raid the kitchen for ice cream instead.

By the end of their angry ranting and the girls wanting every last detail of her encounter with Eric, Maggie found she wasn't as hurt or angry at the Pedrad brothers anymore. Sure she'd make them suffer for everything but she knew it was their dysfunctional way of trying to help.

So after her epiphany, she left the tattoo parlour where Christina was giving Ro a new tattoo while Tris slept in the corner, and half walked, half danced home. She felt good in the knowledge that even if she'd messed up things with Eric, and her guy friends were being jerks, she could at least count on the girls to drop everything and make her feel better.

She unlocked her door and stepped inside, kicking off her shoes and beginning to strip off her clothes as she wondered towards her bathroom for a shower. When she turned on her bedroom light, Maggie squealed and dropped her blouse in surprise when she saw Eric standing there in the middle of the room, watching her intently.

In her shock, Maggie didn't notice his animosity from earlier was gone, replaced with a deep contemplation. He didn't speak as Maggie fumbled with her shirt on the floor, trying clumsily to gather it up and cover herself.

"What are you doing here Eric?"

He cocked his head to the side, regarding her. Maggie's heart was thundering both from her initial fright and from the way she was being watched so carefully.

"I just wanted to ask you something." He told her, stalking up until they were almost touching.

"Ok." Maggie felt unsure she wanted to know his question for her.

"Why did you run from Uri?"

"Why?" Maggie couldn't help but wonder why that was the question Eric wanted answering.

"Just trying to figure you out." He told her softly. "I still don't get you."

Maggie licked her lips, watching the way Eric was regarding her, like he could devour her on the spot.

"So. Why did you run from Uri, Maggie?" he brought his arms up, holding her gently around her waist.

"I don't know. I was scared I guess." She saw the ghost of a smile grace Eric's lips. "Is that all you're here for?" she wanted to know.

"Hmmm." He helped her off with her bra, unclasping it at the back and dragging the straps off her shoulders.

"I was thinking of taking a shower if you want to join?" she whispered against his lips before he leaned in to kiss her slow and deep. Maggie broke the kiss and took hold of both Eric's hands in her own, dragging him with her into the tiny bathroom before turning the water on to warm up.

They took their time, lazily kissing between ridding each other of their clothes and stepping into the stream of water. They continued leisurely touching and exploring each other's bodies until neither could stand it anymore. Eric turned the water off and wrapped Maggie up in a towel before picking her up to carry her to the bed.

He lay her down gently before continuing getting to know her body intimately, kissing his way down to taste her most private area. Maggie moaned out at the feeling of his lips latching onto her clit as he kissed and sucked on the sensitive nerve centre. Her fingers weaved into his hair and her thighs and hands held him in place as her quickly brought her to her peak and she came over his eager mouth. He continued licking up her juices until her orgasm subsided and she tugged on his hair to bring him up and kiss him.

Maggie used her remaining strength to flip Eric onto his back on the bed and leaned over him to find a condom packet. She rolled one onto his hard length and climbed on top of him, straddling his solid hips.

She delighted in hearing his groan as she sunk down on top of him, letting him fill her. She began rocking her hips into his, watching him enjoy her and feeling herself grow closer with every movement, continuing to ride him faster and harder until they both exploded in ecstasy.

. . . . .

Eric woke up to see the sun's slow ascent into the sky, momentarily confused as to where he was. He blinked to clear his vision and saw the long dark waves of Maggie's hair in disarray around them. She was still fast asleep with her cheek resting on his chest and Eric could feel his heart swell. He knew this woman laying in his arms was worth all the chasing she was putting him through. It was in that moment Eric admitted to himself that this was the woman he would follow to the ends of the Earth. If only she would just open her eyes and see him for the man he truly was. Not the one she expected him to be.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Maggie had seemed a little shy when she woke up that morning. Eric could sense that this was uncharted territory for her so he simply held her in his arms while she got used to this new development. He had never even dreamed of staying the night with a woman before, not wanting to talk or spend time with them once a tryst was over. Rightly, he should be feeling awkward and wanting to get out of there as soon as possible but he liked the way Maggie felt in his arms and the contented sigh she gave once she relaxed into him.

In reality, he did have a lot to wrap his mind around and last night, he should have given Maggie some space especially considering the talk he'd had with Uriah after she had left.

The entire day before, from the moment she had run out of the gym, he had been confused and angry. When he had seen her walk into the pub and try to act like everything was normal, it had pissed him off further. It wasn't until Zeke and Uriah had overstepped the line and divulged such personal information about her that Eric had felt a glimmer of understanding. She had walked out, giving him his chance to get more information from the two people who knew her best.

The other boys had taken off not long after Maggie and the girl's exit leaving just Eric and Uriah sitting, nursing their beers and without any need of prompting, Uriah spoke up.

"You have that look about you. The same one I used to see in the mirror every damn day."

Eric watched Uriah, needing to hear this from him.

"When we were kids, I just loved that girl. Used to think she was the one, that we'd run away to amity together and have a bunch of kids. Be happy, you know?"

Eric couldn't help the jealousy mounting at the image of a life of peace and happiness that would bring out the bloom in sweet Maggie Ivor. He hated thinking that this kid could be better for her than he was.

"We used to spend all our time together. You'd never find one of us without the other. It was like that for the longest time."

"So what changed?"

Uriah's usual stupid grin was sombre. Eric could see the cracks in him that he hadn't realised were there before.

"I fell in love with her." Uriah paused but when Eric looked at him in confusion, he continued. "I mean, I always loved her. Me and Zeke both. She's been something to us from the start, but, once she and I were together for a while, I felt serious about us. When I told her, she freaked out. We tried for a while to keep going but I knew I'd asked too much from her to love me back. Eventually she told me she couldn't love anyone and broke things off."

"But, look at all the people she has in her life. You're all as good as family. Better, really. How can she say she doesn't love any one of you? How come you don't hate her?" Eric couldn't imagine loving someone like Maggie and losing her only to turn around and be her loyal friend. Uriah shook his head at Eric.

"I love her. Don't get me wrong, took me a while to work it out. The thing about Maggie that she hasn't figured out about herself yet is how fiercely she loves every person she invites into her life. Nobody could love you better, but even so, and as much as I hate saying this about her, she is messed up."

Eric slowly nodded, understanding the last statement at least.

"So, you just let her go?"

"It all came down to admitting to myself that I wasn't the one who could help her heal."

This wasn't comforting to Eric in the least.

"So, basically, you're saying I need to accept she's messed up beyond what anyone can handle and move on. We both know that if someone like you can't help her, the chances of me being able to are slim. I'll just mess her up further."

"I've been watching the two of you for a while now. You challenge her. Bring out her spirit. She comes alive with you. I never would have picked you for her before but she's better when she's with you."

"Doesn't change the fact that she's more effort than she's worth most of the time." Eric grumbled into the mouth of his glass. Uriah gave him an uncomfortable look and hesitated.

"If I tell you something I really shouldn't know, to help you, will you promise you won't bring your wrath down on me?"

Eric shrugged. "Shoot."

"I knew Maggie was struggling with her fear landscape and Four wouldn't tell me what it was. He didn't want me to help her unfairly, so I might have obtained them, illegally."

Eric's eyes narrowed. In order to get hold of this information, Uriah would have had to break several laws whose consequences, if caught, we severe. The fact that he had succeeded and hadn't been found out left Eric surprised and impressed, but also conflicted. Knowing this put him in an awkward position. As a leader, he should be bringing Uriah in for punishment. He realised that his need to know this information about her far outweighing the wrong Uriah had done, however. It was long enough ago and hadn't been flagged so Eric let his own intrigue win out.

"It's like the whole damn faction knows but won't tell me about it. Well, spit it out!"

"So I wasn't expecting it to be something lame like spiders or being hit by lightning or anything. I had always just figured it would be her having to live through her family's murders again."

"That's what I always thought"

"Well, I don't even know how this turns up in a fear landscape, but Maggie is afraid of love."

Eric looked at Uriah like he thought he was being messed around with. "Of love..."

"Yeah and don't look at me like that. She is afraid of it. She's afraid of loving anybody. She's afraid of anybody loving her. She's petrified of falling in love. She thinks if she ever cares about anybody that deeply after her family, losing them will kill her. She's so afraid of it that she doesn't even realise it's surrounding her with every one of us."

"Makes sense." Eric agreed. "So why tell me this?"

"Don't act dumb with me, leader boy."

Eric shot daggers at Uriah for his audacity.

"I know how you feel about her. I told you, I have seen that look on my own face a thousand times. It's actually perfect that it is you and not someone normal whose fallen in love with her. She won't expect someone with the sensitivity of a doornail to actually care about her. She can go on denying it to herself for as long as she needs until she's ready to face the fact that she's been in love with you the whole time. All you need to do is keep the pressure off her. Don't try to force her to get serious until the time is right and she feels ready."

Eric wasn't sure he appreciated Uriah telling him how to feel.

"Still seems like more effort than its worth to me."

Uriah drank up what was left in his glass and put it firmly back down on the table.

"That's your choice dude. All I can say is, you've been chasing her for months. Is the great Eric Coulter going to give in after a little setback like this? I mean, think about it. You've already got her. She's worth holding on to."

And with that, Uriah stood from the booth and made to leave.

"I should go find Zeke. We've got to work out how to make it up to her for embarrassing her in front of everyone. I don't think she'll be talking to us for a while. Oh and, don't ever tell Marlene any of this. I like this girl. See ya."

"Yeah. Bye." Eric said in more of an afterthought.

And so, he had left the pub and found himself at her door. Once he had determined that nobody was home he broke in, knowing that he should really be giving her space but needing to see if she could confirm everything Uriah had told him.

And now here he was laying there stroking her skin until he just needed her so he rolled her onto her back and took his time with her until she was clinging to him and moaning softly in that way the drove him to distraction.

A few hours later, Maggie and Eric were emerging from her room and spotted Ro sitting on the couch nursing a coffee with a smug look on her face.

"Morning." She greeted in a sing-song sort of voice.

"Ro." Eric nodded toward her before slumping down on the couch. Maggie went over to make them both a coffee but before she could begin, there was a knock on the door.

"Bet we can all guess who that could be." Ro scoffed as Maggie went to open the door. She was greeted with two pairs of legs and a massive bunch of flowers.

"We come in humble apology." One muffled voice told her.

"And to beg you not to dismember us." The other one said. Maggie had already gotten over their very public comments from the night before but wasn't against making them work for it so she wiped the huge smile off their face and gently pushed the bouquet down so that she could look at the brothers as sternly as she could manage. Straight away they spotted Eric on the couch.

"Oh hey. Fancy seeing you here." Uriah said in a knowing way that had Eric clearing his throat and Maggie a little confused. Uriah sidestepped Maggie at the door and dropped the flowers on Eric's lap.

"Don't say I never give you flowers." He winked before wheeling back around to lunge himself at Maggie in a bear hug. Zeke joined in on the hug as well.

"We're sorry." He sounded sheepish even if Uriah was acting more smug than anything. When they both realised Maggie wasn't hugging them back they let her go.

"Really, we feel like shitty friends and we're sorry." Zeke said more sincerely. Maggie looked back to Eric and Ro who were looking amused. "Now," Zeke continued on "say goodbye miss M. You're coming with us.

. . . . .

It turned out, to make things up to Maggie, Uriah and Zeke had treated her to a day out of the compound. They had taken the train out to the flying fox, where Maggie had four goes on it before going to the abandoned fair grounds. She had always loved it there. Not long after losing her family, Maggie, Uriah and Zeke would sneak out of Dauntless and spend hours trying to picture what it would have been like to see the place up and running. Sometimes they would pretend to be a family, going up to ticket booths and climbing into the rides, pretending to buy cotton candy and just imagining what it could taste like. Going back again now, all grown up, Maggie never would have thought the boys would begin to play their old childhood games.

Zeke ducked behind one side show booth and reappeared inside it giving Maggie and Uriah a childish grin.

"Step right up Sir. Would you be wanting to win your lady a prize?" he bellowed out in a dreadful cockney accent. Uriah nudged Maggie in the side before skipping closer to the booth. He drew back his arm and pretended to throw a ball at a target.

"Oh that's a pity sir, too bad you can't aim for shit." Zeke teased him "But you've got two more try's."

"You can't cockney for shit." Uriah said back as casually as if he were talking about the weather before throwing his second imaginary ball at the target.

"Oooh. Getting there. Don't miss this last one." Zeke handed him a last imaginary ball. Uri once again swung his arm through the air and Zeke gave a large cheer earning a laugh from Maggie.

They continued on with the game until Uri had picked out an imaginary teddy bear for Maggie and the three of them continued to wander around the grounds. After a while, Maggie stopped in her tracks and began looking around.

"What's wrong?" Zeke was on alert, thinking that danger was coming.

"What the hell happened to the ferris wheel?"

"Oh it's broken. Tris and Four did it our initiation year." Uriah answered.

"Those buggers!" Maggie exclaimed jokingly.

"I know! I tried to have them thrown out of Dauntless for it but Max wouldn't have it!" Uri joked back.

They climbed up on top of another ride and sat looking out at the surrounding area. Maggie liked the way this place made her feel. It was nostalgia and the better parts of childhood with a little hint of sadness mixed in.

"I've missed this." She told them, sighing deeply feeling content.

By the time they returned to the compound, they had convinced each other to get matching tattoos in honour of their fallen friend – the ferris wheel. It didn't take Christina much convincing to come in to the parlour on her day off to see her friends permanently mark their skin with something to silly.

When it was Maggie's turn, she sat down and held out her right wrist for Christina to work on and saw Eric slip into the room. Maggie could tell he didn't get why she felt she needed to get matching tattoos with the Pedrads but he didn't say anything. Instead, he watched from the corner of the already crowded room, chuckling whenever Maggie flinched and considering she wasn't the biggest fan of getting tattooed it was fairly often.

Once Christina was done, Maggie gave Zeke and Uriah each a hug, thanking them for making the day so special before they left the shop.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Christina called out to them "Will and I are having a date night."

That just left Maggie standing out the front of the parlour with Eric. She was beginning to feel shyness creep through her.

"Good day?" he asked her as they started to walk. Maggie smiled and began to tell him about where they went and what they did.

"So, why the tattoos?" he wanted to know.

"We used to climb up to sit in the seats at the top and just watch the city. I didn't realise it had fallen until today. What did you do while we were gone?" Maggie felt weird about asking him that. It wasn't really her business after all but he didn't look like he minded.

"Well, after you left, I was about to go get some more sleep," he bumped into her shoulder, reminding her why he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. She smiled but kept her face trained forward. "But Ro was – chatty. She had me there for almost an hour trying to get me to tell her everything that happened last night."

This didn't come as a surprise to Maggie. "Yeah, she can be a bit –"

"intrusive?" Eric interjected. Maggie just shrugged and kept walking. "I don't get how the two of you are friends. You're so different."

"I think that's why I like her." They had veered into a hallway Maggie wasn't familiar with. "Where are we?"

"My apartment is just up here. I did not want to run into Ro again." He grimaced "You hungry?"

Maggie smiled and nodded, waiting for Eric to unlock the door. His apartment clearly cost a lot more points than her and Ro's did. The first thing Maggie noticed was the wall to floor windows and door that led out to a balcony outside. From this level, she could see most of the city. The living area itself was spacious and tidy. There was next to no decoration, showing how little time Eric got to spend there. There was a working kitchenette in the open plan for the room complete with breakfast bar and island bench. Off to one side was a door which Maggie figured led to his room. It was more space than one person could really need, but kept in a simple style.

Eric's usual confident persona was back in full force, clearly at ease in his own space. He began rummaging around in his kitchen.

"How about I work on dinner while you get drinks?" he suggested while pointing her in the direction of a bar area off to the side of the main counter, complete with spirits, mixers, wines and beers. Maggie's mind couldn't help but wonder how many other women had he entertained here before her. He certainly seemed a lot more experienced than her. She didn't want to think about it. Jealousy wasn't a trait she wanted to ever possess. Instead, she tried to remember what Eric would usually order at the pub and busied herself with the task.

She could hear Eric pull a knife out of its block and begin chopping vegetables as she brought his bourbon to him.

"You cook often?" she wanted to know

"Not much. Just when I get some free time. The new chef is a little – under qualified." It was true, since Roland had been killed in the factionless attack, the food prepared by his replacement wasn't in the same league, but he was improving with time.

"He's doing better than I ever could." Maggie answered honestly. Eric gave a quick smile before grabbing hold of Maggie's hips. He hoisted her onto the counter beside where he was working.

"Watch how it's done." He told her, quietly confident in his abilities. She looked on as he put together a simple stir-fry.

"Who taught you to cook?"

"Self taught really." He looked thoughtful. "Neither of my parents cooked. I kind of just got into the basic stuff out of necessity."

"My mother was pretty good at it, I think. She was a healer's daughter in Amity. Knew natural remedies for all kinds of things so she was always in the kitchen." Maggie grew wistful as she spoke. Eric looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, the hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Sounds like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." He began to chuckle. "You know, before we met, I used to wonder what you must be like. I always had a picture of a female Thorin in my head. But I can see how you could have been an Amity now."

"When I wasn't being trained up by Dad or at the hub, I was watching her work. I kind of forgot it all. You know, after."

Eric nodded without answering. Maggie wasn't sure where this sudden ability to talk openly about her family was coming from but somehow, when she spoke like this with Eric, it didn't leave her with that painful ache she was so used to.

Before she knew it, their dinner was eaten and the dishes were cleared and Eric was urging her to stay. It all felt so blissfully normal that Maggie was left waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 **So a short cutesy sort of chapter before the shit hits. If you are reading this, thank you for your continued patience with my delayed updates. Still got a bit planned for this story and I promise that I have every intention to finish it xx**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

A low beeping sound woke Four from his sleep and as he looked for the source, he could see his phone flashing in the darkness. Letting out a slow deep breath he detangled his arm from underneath Tris' shoulder, trying not to wake her. He picked up his phone, snuck out of the bedroom and accepted the call while bringing the phone up to his ear.

"Yeah." He greeted the caller.

"We need you to come in. Soon." A female voice told him from the other end before hanging up abruptly.

Four looked down at the phone briefly before rubbing his hand over his face. It was four in the morning and slow as his half asleep mind was processing this, he knew who that voice belonged to. Sneaking back into his room to gather his clothes, Four was careful not to alert Tris. The less he had to tell her the better as far as he was concerned. Before leaving the room, he took one last look at her, his heart constricting. He wasn't sure how much longer she would put up with his cagey behaviour before showing him the door. Soon, he would have to make a choice and there was no way he felt ready for that yet.

. . . . .

"Your bathroom is so much better than mine!" Maggie was still awestruck, as if seeing the rest of Eric's apartment for the first time. It turned out, he had a guest bedroom not in use and his own room was spacious, complete with the same stunning views as his living area had. The adjoining bathroom was easily three times the size of Maggie's, complete with an oversized claw foot bathtub. She was deep in a daydream about soaking in a relaxing bubble bath when she felt Eric wind his arms around her waist from behind as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

She looked up into the mirror ahead of them and her heart fluttered seeing this man looking at her. It was still very early on Monday morning and they had not long returned from a gruelling workout at the gym, both drenched in sweat and exhausted, needing to shower before beginning their days at work. Maggie's face flushed remembering how they had found a set of her clothes folded on the floor in front of his door this morning, both knowing it had to have been Ro. She didn't want Eric to think she was trying to make things between them more serious but to her relief, he had just laughed.

"Looks like you're getting ready here."

She couldn't have been more grateful that Eric was fully aware of how presumptuous Ro could be than in that moment. The pair had even found they had enough time to make use of the spacious shower, leaving Maggie very grateful for Ro's interference. Maggie couldn't remember ever being like this in the past. It was like she was unable to keep her hands to herself, always touching him and wanting him. He wasn't complaining either and as it turned out, had a never ending supply of energy.

They entered the mess hall together and were greeted with catcalls and cheers from Uriah, Zeke and Will.

"Look who finally came up for air!" Will's indiscreet comment had other members of the patrol squad looking up at them.

"Long time no see." Zeke added before Uriah piped up with

"Look at you glow girl." Maggie could feel her face heat up as she blushed uncontrollably. If the rest of the faction didn't know before, they certainly would now. She caught a glimps of Eric from the corner of her eye – of course he wasn't fazed by the attention, he did look like he was standing taller, trying to fight a smirk as he guided Maggie to the food. She reluctantly sat down with the boys, Eric sitting right beside her and not breaking contact with her at any moment. Uriah looked so smug watching them that Maggie had to control the urge to fling her bacon at him.

Four emerged out of the hallway to the housing quarters looking preoccupied. He helped himself to some toast and bacon before sitting across from Eric.

"I thought your shift didn't start till eight?" Eric stated warily.

Four shrugged "There are some cameras down out near Candor. I want to get them running again."

"No one reported anything." Eric's eyes narrowed.

"They just called me about it this morning. Must've happened overnight." If Maggie had been paying better attention, she would have noticed how focused Four was on staring at his plate. Avoiding eye contact was very out of the ordinary for him.

"You with us today Mags?" Zeke asked.

"No, full shift at the infirmary today. Where are you heading out to?"

"These two" Zeke indicated Uri and Will "are patrolling Amity. Be out in the fields stealing fruit more like it." Uriah grinned broadly, nodding his head in exaggeration. "Brad, Jase and I will be in abnegation."

Maggie was relieved to know she would be staying in the compound that day. Patrolling abnegation was so dull she had almost fallen asleep standing up the last time she went out. When Brad brought her back to focus, she'd been so surprised that she'd almost shot her own foot.

"Have fun with that." She told him with heavy sarcasm.

Before he had even gotten through half of his food, Four stood and gave a quick half wave before leaving the mess hall.

"Is he ok?" Will asked them collectively.

"Probably just pissed about getting a call from the control room in the middle of the night. I know I would be too." Uriah laughed it off.

"I should get going." Eric stood from the table and gave Maggie a small nod before leaving the room.

"Not very affectionate is he?" Uriah said "I didn't even get a kiss goodbye!" Maggie kicked his leg from under the table with a laugh as the men made to leave as well.

"Have fun in the infirmary M. Now that you're sleeping with the boss, you might be able to convince him the bring together the dream team on patrols."

This time, Maggie did throw a bacon rind at his face and he laughed, giving her a wink.

"See ya!"

Maggie smiled back and watched them leave the room. She checked the time and saw that there was still a while before she was due at the infirmary but decided to get in the extra time, so she too exited the mess hall to begin her day.

. . . . .

The sun still wasn't up when Four found himself standing in the rubble that covered the Factionless entrance. Much to his disappointed, it was Edgar who was waiting for him to arrive.

"Where's Evelyn?" he wanted to know.

"She's out." Edgar snapped. "She wants you to wait in her office." Without waiting to see if Four would follow, Edgar ducked into the low concealed entryway.

Four couldn't help but feel the anger burn through him. "If she wasn't going to be here, why did she call me in so early?" he growled out as he followed Edgar inside.

"Keep your pants on would you. She'll be back in a minute."

The room Edgar had brought Four to was dingy and small. Everything in there looked to be in varying shades of brown – rickety furniture, busted light fixtures, even the worn carpet on the floor. Somewhere nearby, he could hear a tap dripping to a steady rhythm and Four used its beat as a distraction against his wonderings as to why Evelyn had wanted him to come back here so soon after their last meeting and what had called her attention away.

If he allowed himself to think too long, he would circle around to the guilt he was trying to suppress over continuing to sneak out of Dauntless to see her. Max and Eric still didn't know that Four had an in with the factionless, nor had he told them he was coming to see her so frequently and now that Eric was so close to Maggie, there was always the chance that he would find out.

His worries that Evelyn would betray him and have him killed were becoming less and less each time he met with her, apprehension replaced with curiosity.

The 'minute' Edgar had told him to wait for turned out to take over an hour before he could finally hear someone walking towards the room with a steady confidence. Four knew on instict that it was Evelyn. She knew her place here and felt comfortable in it. So very different from the helpless, frightened woman he remembered from his childhood. When she entered the room, she gave him a small smile in greeting.

"Thank you for meeting me." No hint of an apopogy for making him wait. She didn't even look as though it occurred to her to feel bad about it.

"So what's this all about?" Four was anxious to get to the point of this meeting. He had less than two hours before his shift started in the control room and nobody there would be able to confirm the story about broken cameras he had told Eric at breakfast. Evelyn walked around the room, stopping to face Four where he was sitting.

"It's time for your answer. You know what we're about here. You know what we want to achieve. I need to know, are you with us?"

"I only know what you've shown me. There is still a lot I don't know." Four countered.

Evelyn sat down across the table from him. She looked deadly serious and her voice dropped to something just above a whisper.

"Tobias, things have been put in motion that can't be stopped. Dauntless won't survive much longer. I want you with me when that happens but I need to know you have the stomach for it."

Something about the tone in her voice had Four's hair stand on end. "What kinds of things. The stomach for what?"

"The kinds of things that need to be done to achieve our cause. The sacrifices that need to be made. We know the faction system is broken and we know how to fix it. In order to show everyone else in the city that, we need for them to see that Erudite's answers only serve to bring themselves more power. They need to know how incapable Dauntless is to keep them safe." Evelyn's ramblings were having the opposite affect on Four than she was hoping for.

"Dauntless _has_ been keeping the city safe." He argued vehemently.

"Have a think back, Tobias. They let an attack happen under their own roof just weeks ago. They've been losing numbers steadily and getting less and less initiates every year for the past ten years. Everyone else _is_ losing faith in Dauntless. They have been since the Ivor killings and it's all thanks to _our_ plan."

Four felt his blood turn to ice in his veins. His eyes widened at what Evelyn had just implicated. _No._ He thought to himself. _Please, no!_ He didn't want to hear where she was going with this but he had to know. It was too much to hang in uncertainty.

"The Factionless plan, or _your_ plan?" he needed her to confirm it. His eyes bore into hers as he waited for her to answer him.

"After I left your father, I became close with the previous leader of the factionless. He had a plan that would see us rise to become an accepted faction in the community. I however, knew the other leaders would never go for it. They will never see us as anything more than the rodents of their society. It took me some time, but I finally convinced him to see things my way." She spoke so casually. There were no regrets as far as Evelyn was concerned.

"And what way was that?" Four prompted "You got him to kill the Ivors so that the rest of the city would lose faith in Dauntless?"

"Tobias, I didn't get him to do anything. He told me that if I really believed in this course of action, that I was to carry it out myself. So I put a small group together and we broke into the Dauntless compound –" She was looking at him steadily.

 _Say it._ Four's thoughts were screaming violently in his head and he struggled not to show her his emotions.

" – and we killed them."

Four felt waves of nausia wash over him and he had to swallow several times and concentrate on calming his senses. It could have been seconds or it could have been minutes before he realised that Evelyn was still speaking.

"but we lost him in the mess hall attack a few weeks ago." She finished. Four hadn't taken in anything she had said but he knew he should have been paying attention to what he was being told. The more information he knew, the better.

A knock sounded on the door before Edgar opened it.

"He wants to talk to you." He told Evelyn while handing her a walkie talkie. Evelyn excused herself from the room, leaving Four there alone once more.

He found it hard to keep his mind on one clear thought. Knowing without any doubt that his own mother had killed Maggie's entire family was the confirmation to his worst fears. Ever since he had first seen her alive in front of him, not a simple grungy factionless woman, but a strong leader of their resistance ranks, Four had been afraid that she was somehow involved.

He had no clue how to deal with it. How could he tell Maggie? He wasn't sure if he even should. As soon as she knew, she would be after Evelyn with ten years worth of anger and grief behind her. The need for revenge was such a strong part of who she was that there was no doubt in Four's mind that he would lose his mother permanently this time, and to Maggie's hands.

. . . . .

Maggie was glad she had come in early. Dieter, Marlene and the other nurses had been rushed off their feet and were looking wrecked as Maggie came in. She recognised as few of the patients as the new initiates and it looked like they had gotten cocky with some much older, more experienced Dauntless members.

"I hope you've learned your lesson?" she scolded one of them who was now sporting a broken wrist and a broken nose that was so messed up, both his eyes were swollen shut.

"We had them on the ropes for a while." He argued "If the fight had ended just a minute sooner I wouldn't be looking like this right now."

Maggie shook her head and laughed. "I've observed that the more experienced fighter will go in with an extra advantage and until you learn not to underestimate your opponents, you'll find your self on the losing end more often than not."

"These ones are about ready to clear out." Dieter told her as she finished putting the kid's arm in a sling. He thanked her and slinked away with his friends, leaving the infirmary much quieter than when she had entered.

"Well, it was a bit of excitement for the morning." Dieter laughed. "I missed the start of it. My shift only began just before you got here."

"The girls look wrecked." Maggie observed. Dieter's expression dropped a little.

"They had a rough night. One of our elderly members passed away through the night. We've been seeing to her comfort for some time, but there wasn't a lot we could do for her."

Maggie's heart sunk. "That's awful."

"It's all a part of this work I'm sorry to say. There will always be heartbreaks and cases that never really leave you, no matter how much time passes." he spoke earnestly and for a moment, Maggie wondered if she had the sort of strength required to be great at this work.

"So, how do you get through it?"

"It's different for everybody. But I think for me, I like to end each day with my family, and remember that no matter how many or how few I can't save, I can still help. And that can be a comforting thought." He squeezed her shoulder before leading her back to gather cleaning supplies. "Now come on. We've got to make sure the beds are ready for the new injured and then I'd like us to go through the next chapter in your textbook."

. . . . .

It was still early when Uriah and Will made it to Amity with the rest of their patrol crew. Will drove the truck up to the gates where two Dauntless men guarding the fence greeted them to go over their papers. Will handed them over and waited while they were looked over. Satisfied, the wall guards waved them through. They drove past some fields where crops were about ready to be harvested.

There had been a few reports coming in from Johanna, Amity's leader, about sightings of non-amity members (although they never had specific discriptions) and food and other supplies going missing. Uriah and Will had been out here before, chasing up similar reports.

"Do you think Johanna has been a bit too liberal with that peace serum again?" Uriah wondered out loud.

"Either her or one of her farmers have, I'll bet." Will was starting to give up on the chance that these reports had any merit. Uriah liked coming out here though. While he enjoyed the freedom and the quiet out in the fields, Will could never quite wait until they were back in the compound, surrounded with like-minded people.

They split up so that it was just Will and Uriah marching along the fence line between two fields, the other two men travelling in the opposite direction. It was a clear morning and they could see well off into the distance from where they were.

"I don't know what Johanna was talking about. There isn't anything here." Will said, sqinting in the bright sun as he looked around. "I guess if someone was here, they had plenty of time to clear out before we got here."

They kept going, trudging through softer ground and making sure not to trample over anything that could eventually become food.

"Maybe whoever it was left something behind. We're here now. Might as well have a good look around to make sure." Uriah was always more content about the calls to Amity. There had been a lot of them in the past few months. It seemed as though the factionless were getting a lot of their supplies from out here, though Johanna couldn't tell them how. None of the Amity members were likely to fight them for it so they were easier targets than most other factions. The only others who would make it easier to steal from them were Abnegation, but they never had anything worth stealing and would give all they had willingly in any case.

"So how'd your date night with Christina go?" Uriah asked as they patroled. Will broke out into a big grin, causing Uriah to chuckle.

"That good, huh? That's my boy!"

"Things have been a bit strained lately. Chris is always busy training up Ro and now that Four has gone all weird, Tris is around a lot. We haven't had a lot of time to ourselves for a while. The other night, it was like none of that was happening. We were back to normal again."

"Yeah, I've seen a lot of Tris too." Uriah agreed. "I don't think Marlene likes that much."

"You two having trouble?"

Uriah shook his head. "Not really. She's just getting used to the girls."

"You better not let her see that picture of Maggie and Ro passed out on your bed. Tris will be the least of her problems." Will laughed.

"You're probably right about that."

They kept on going for a while and everything looked normal, until Uriah caught sight of a reflection of light in the distance. Squinting to see more clearly in the glare of the sun, Uriah struggled to make out what it was.

"Hold up." He told Will. "What the hell is that?" Will didn't get the chance to answer as the ground near their feet kicked up, as if it had been hit by something. Something like a bullet.

"We're under fire!" Will yelled as both men hit the ground, trying to find cover as the sound of shots rang out. At once, the drops of deep, crimson blood spurted out over the ground around them, accompanied by a breathless 'omph'.

. . . . .

Evelyn returned to the room and shut the door behind her.

"Sorry about that." She told him, more out of habit than actually being sorry for the interruption. Four didn't say anything. He had stayed sitting there, in the same position he had been in when Evelyn had been called out. Still working to look calm and unaffected.

"So, where were we?"

"I don't know, Mother. Did you want to go on with telling me how you killed a man, woman and _child_? Or do you still want to know if I have the stomach to handle what else you have planned?"

"Well, do you?" Evelyn asked with a defiant tone. She had squared her shoulders and was looking down at Four from where she stood, as if she was scolding an errant child.

"What have you got going on Evelyn? Why weren't you here this morning? What did Edgar need you out in the hall for just now?" There were so many questions and Four knew that there wasn't much chance of anything good coming from Evelyn's mouth in that moment.

"You know," Evelyn began again, seemingly deflecting Four's questions. "we've had enough Dauntless interference. Every time we go to pick up more supplies, more soldiers come out to stick their noses where they don't belong."

Four furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how we needed a bit of a diversion so that we could pick up a few things. Important things." She told him.

He had all but given up on getting a straight answer from her "Where are these important things?" he asked.

"We've come across some very helpful items in Amity. It seems like the storage for the entire city out there. We thought we were being discreet but someone keeps reporting sightings of strange things out there. If the dauntless soldiers won't stay out of where they don't belong, we'll make them." She laughed.

"Amity?" Four said, wheels turning in his head. "You've got something planned for there today?"

"Well, those Dauntless men keep going out there so that our scavengers never have much success. We've been forced to eliminate them."

A mixture of anger and fear welled up inside Four. Will and Uriah were there. They had told him so that morning.

"Call it off." He growled out at Evelyn, his teeth bared.

"What do you mean? I can't call it off!" Evelyn scoffed indignantly.

"Call it off!" Four yelled out, jumping from his chair and grabbing Evelyn around the throat, squeezing in threat.

"Tobias." Evelyn was still calm. Smug even. "I can't call it off. The attack has already happened."

"What?" he breathed

With big eyes and an innocent expression, Evelyn said "One of the soldiers is dead."

With adrenalin coursing through him, Four shoved his mother to the side and threw the door wide open, rushing out as fast as his legs could carry him. He sped along until he was beside the train tracks and kept running until a train came along to take him back home.

. . . . .

Eric was sitting at his desk, affronted with a mountain of paperwork and wondering how on Earth he was going to get through it all in time. He was always so up to date with everything that it amazed him how the more work he got through, the more that would pile up like it was the heads of hydra.

As he rummaged through the mountain before him, he was still puzzled by Four's comments that morning about cameras being down. There were no reports in front of him to confirm Four's story but that had to be a mistake. He could hear the dispatch radios going nuts in the main area of the office floor. The patrol squads weren't usually this active over radio. At first, Eric shrugged it off and continued with his work. After a few minutes, it seemed that dispatch weren't going to quieten down any time soon and Eric could see several men rushing around in some kind of panicked state. When Max rushed over to his door, Eric knew something was seriously wrong.

"Eric. We have a situation."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Eric ran his hand down his face and let out a long drawn-out breath. He'd done all he could from the office to help out in a hopeless situation and now, it was time for him to do the worst thing he could imagine having to do. He stood from his desk chair, surprised at how solidly his legs were able to hold him considering how numb he felt. It just didn't feel real. Like he'd been immersed in a nightmare that he couldn't wait to wake up from. But it was real.

He walked out of his office with purpose and wove through the people in his path until he was in front of Max.

"You going now then?" Max asked him, a deflated sort of look on his face. Eric nodded.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say..." he admitted. Truly, he felt completely out of his depth right now. Max sighed heavily but didn't answer. Instead, he brought his hand to Eric's bicep and squeezed lightly in comfort as the men exchanged a sober look. Then, Eric gave a quick nod, feeling his heart rate begin to pick up – not for the first time this morning – and left.

He felt his legs take him down the stairs towards to pit and suddenly noticed he'd passed it, completely on autopilot as he continued along passed the entrance to the mess hall. From around the corner ahead oh him, Eric registered mild surprise to see Four hurtling himself along, panting for breath. His eyes widened when he saw Eric in front of him.

"Eric! I heard...I heard..." but he couldn't finish his sentence. As he examined Eric's expression, Four's tanned face visibly paled and his eyes widened.

"Who – ?" but Eric couldn't deal with this right now.

"Max wants someone in the garage to help when the truck comes in."

"Who was it?" no answer. "Who Eric?!" but Eric's face was impassive. He couldn't do this right now.

"Go and wait for the Truck. They'll need you." Eric fought to keep the tremor out of his voice. He couldn't help but think that if this had happened mere months earlier, it wouldn't have been such a blow. Now, he was fighting to keep his head.

Four wasn't satisfied with Eric's dismissal but knew he had to accept it. With shaking limbs, he turned back in the direction he'd come to wait by the garage entrance as Eric continued on his own course.

All too soon, he was standing at the doors of the infirmary. It was slightly ajar and he could hear the melodious laugh that belonged to Maggie. From what he could hear, she was with Dieter and sounded happy. He was about to break her again. He knew it and yet he had no choice. She'd find out very soon and it would be best coming from him.

He gently opened the door and saw her. Her smile brightening the room as she and Dieter continued to laugh over something. She didn't see him at first and he was glad for it. This could very well be the last time he saw her look this happy and he needed to take in the sight of her. Every smile line and the shimmering gleam in her brightened eyes. Then she spotted him and her smile brightened even more. How radiant she looked in that moment, and then, as if sensing something was wrong, or as if it was written all over his face, Maggie's smile faltered.

"Eric?" she moved toward him, still happy but with a hint of worry. "Hey."

Eric froze. He couldn't do it. His eyes darted around as he tried to control his heart. He put his hands behind his back so she wouldn't see them shaking.

"Are you ok?" she sounded concerned for him and his heart hurt for her.

"Maggie. I have to tell you something." He began. He noticed Dieter standing behind Maggie, watching them. He discretely slipped backwards to his office without Maggie being any the wiser.

"Alright." She answered softly. Eric looked around at all the empty cot beds in the room, satisfied that they were alone and guided her to sit on the edge of one. They were low-set beds so Eric had to crouch down in front of her to see her face properly. As he reached for her hands, he saw Maggie swallow. He knew she could tell this was bad. He steeled himself. This is what leaders need to be able to do. Deal with the bad shit nobody else could.

"Maggie. Something happened this morning...out at Amity."

Maggie's breathing shallowed as she searched his eyes with her own but didn't dare interrupt him.

"Will and Uriah were looking into a report of some unusual sightings when they were attacked." Again he paused, squeezing his hands. "I hate this." He looked down. He couldn't bare to look in her eyes. He could feel her hands go clammy in his hold as she struggled to stay calm. She went to speak but he needed to get it out before he lost his nerve.

"Uriah was shot. Will tried to help him – he did everything he could – but, I'm so sorry baby. Uriah was hit too bad. He didn't make it."

Eric could see Maggie had gone shock white. Her breathing was close to hyperventilation and she was starting to rock back and forward on the spot.

"Don't say that! He isn't dead!" she snapped out frantically "He isn't. He's not – " she rocked more frantically now "No." She breathed out before she leapt from the bed she had been perched on. Eric went to hold her but Maggie jumped back.

"Stop it!" she yelled out before grabbing tufts of hair around her temples and shaking. "No. No. No. No. No. I can't – I can't do this again. I can't do this again." Maggie was franticly pleading, tears rolling down her cheeks as she continued to go further into her panic. Before long, Eric couldn't make sense of what she was saying as she slid to the floor.

Eric could see Dieter come out of his office holding a syringe in his hand, looking warily at Eric.

"I don't know what's happening." Eric felt helpless watching Maggie losing control like that.

Dieter started making gentle shushing noises as he knelt down to her. She was too far gone to notice the syringe until he had stuck it into her arm, administering the medication within it. It was mere moments before Maggie's tear stained face looked up at Eric, holding his gaze until she fell asleep.

"Its a strong sedative." Dieter answered Eric's unasked question. "She'll be able to sleep until morning. She'll be more able to accept the news then."

At once, Eric knelt down to pick Maggie up off the floor. He cradled her in his arms and carried her to one of the cots in the corner of the room. Dieter turned the sheets down so that Eric could place her gently on the bed. He removed her shoes and put them under her bed before bringing the sheets and blankets up around her.

"Why did she react like that?" Eric was still in a state of disbelief at Maggie's panic attack. He knew she would take it badly but he never thought it would be like this.

"We all handle things in our own way. I think if we consider who Maggie is and what she has already had to deal with, her reaction is understandable."

"Will she be ok?" he brushed the hair off her face, caressing her cheek with his large hand as he looked at her face, troubled even in sleep. He brought his fingers up to smooth out her frown lines and felt her face relax under his touch.

Dieter had sat on the cot bed opposite the one Maggie occupied, quietly observing Eric's gentle treatment of the young woman.

"I don't know." He told him honestly. "All we can do is wait and look out for her."

Eric remembered the talk he and Uri had only nights before about how fearful Maggie was of losing the people in her life and it finally hit him. Uriah was really gone. Maggie had lost him. They had all lost him and for the first time in his adult life, Eric felt the weight of his own grief wash over him.

Dieter, who had been observing Eric silently for those moments, gently cleared his throat.

"Maggie will be asleep for a while. You go, do what you need to do. I'll stake my degree on her not waking up before tomorrow morning."

Unsure if it was the right call, Eric stood there, watching Maggie's sleeping form.

"I'll inform you if she wakes sooner." Dieter promised so Eric rubbed his thumb across her cheek gently one more time and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll be back before you wake." He promised her before he left the infirmary behind him.

. . . . .

Will sat in the back of the patrol truck as it bumped and swayed its way back to Dauntless. He looked unseeingly at his bloodstained hands. He couldn't feel the drops of dried blood on his face although he knew it was there. He didn't feel like his consciousness was in his body at all as the shock protected him from accepting what he had just been through.

He saw flashes of memory creep in before he shut them down but it was getting harder and harder to stop himself from reliving it the further they got from Amity. One of the farmers nearby had offered him his peace serum. Will was regretting turning it down now as he began to feel everything trying to come back to him all at once.

 _They had been looking around between two fields for any sign of something out of the ordinary. It all seemed to be in order until Uriah thought he'd spotted something. Then, they were being fired upon and had tried to get themselves as low to the ground has they could. Will could hear that breathless_ oomph _and feel blood hit the side of his face. He looked towards the direction of their attackers, pointed his own weapon and began shooting. It wasn't long before they were joined by their own patrol crew and the shooting stopped abruptly._

 _Will looked over to Uriah, who was still laying on his stomach. He could see the blood covering Uri's back before he rolled his friend over to face him. He was still breathing but barely, or at least trying desperately to bring in a breath. Uriah looked up at him, trying to speak but Will could see the blood covering his teeth and run out from his lips, making distinct gurgling sounds._

 _He could vaguely recall getting out his two-way, needing instructions from them on how to save Uri. That part was all a blur. He thinks he can remember one of his own soldiers tearing off in the direction of their attack while the other tried to help Will help Uri._

" _He's coughing blood! What do I do? What do I do?" he can remember the long pause on the other end before Max's voice came on._

" _Just be with him, son."_

 _Will couldn't find any words to comfort him. He couldn't speak at all as he held Uri tight to him. In a last attempt to get air in, Uriah sputtered, blood spraying up and covering Will. They just looked at each other. Will trying to comfort his friend as he heard one of his men continuing to ask dispatch for help. He focused on Uri and tried to smile at him before Uriah's struggles became more desperate and then, his eyes were looking up at Will but unseeing. He was gone._

Will tried to shake the images away, but he kept seeing Uriah's blank eyes staring at him. He doubled over and retched all over the floor of the truck and one of his men cleaned up the mess while the other was driving. Will couldn't move to help. He couldn't feel anything at all. How long until they got back home? How long would this nightmare keep going on for?

He didn't dare look up any further passed his knees, because Uri was there in the back of the truck as well. Lying under a crusty old blanket they had found back here. Will squeezed his eyes shut tight and leaned his head back, waiting. Waiting to get out of this truck. Waiting to hold Christina. Waiting to clean up the blood and to finally cry away from prying eyes.

It was such a long way from Amity to Dauntless, but today, the journey seemed to take years.

. . . . .

Four paced back and forth along the garage entrance. Ignoring protocol, he had the doors wide open so he could look out for them to arrive. Damn Eric for not telling him what had happened. From the look on his face, Four could guess and the suspicion was making him anxious. _Please, not him. Don't let it be him._ Four kept demanding the universe as he paced.

Finally, he could hear the rumble of an engine in the distance. He craned his neck, trying to see around a corner to the distance in the direction they would be coming from. There. He could see it and he tried to widen the doors further as the truck drew nearer. It circled in front of the doors to back in and Four could only see one man jump out of the cab.

He looked at Four but didn't speak. Four swallowed the heavy lump in his throat as the back doors swung open slowly. He strode over to the opening and his heart dropped. He could see Will, sitting upright, covered in blood. A haunted look on his face and their other crew member jump out to help wheel a trolley over from inside the garage. He saw the blanket covering a body and he didn't need to ask who it was.

For a split second, Four couldn't move from where he stood. He felt hot tears prickling at his eyes but he blinked them back. It wasn't until the other two men climbed back into the truck to lift Uri's body onto the trolley that Four came out of his stupor. He climbed in to help them, trying for a moment to pretend it wasn't his best friend's brother under that blanket.

When he was securely on the trolley, one of the others told him they were taking him to the infirmary for the time being. Four nodded but couldn't look again as they wheeled Uri away. Instead, he climbed back into the truck and sat next to Will. He didn't speak or even move. Four placed his hand on Will's shoulder and Will just blinked, staring at the wall opposite him.

They sat like this for a while, waiting. They both knew Will would have to go to the infirmary as well but that it would be better to wait until Uri was moved. Four couldn't bear having to see him under that blanket again and he figured Will felt the same way.

After a few minutes, Four opened his mouth to speak but before he could say a word Will cut him off.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright." Four agreed. "They'll be waiting for you at the infirmary." He got up and shuffled over to the edge of the truck before jumping down. Will followed woodenly. When he jumped down to the concrete floor, he swayed a little and Four steadied him. Neither saying another word as they walked, grief stricken, towards the infirmary.

. . . . .

Dieter could hear the wheels of a trolley approaching and hastily closed the curtains around Maggie's cot. He knew she wouldn't be able to see or hear what was happening but he still needed to protect her from this.

The men wheeled Uriah's body inside and he guided them to the back room, where he would examine him to give the official cause of death, clean the body and prepare him for burial.

Two nurses had been called in to see to the other men who were with Uri. They would need to be checked for injuries and if needed, treated for the shock they would be feeling. It wasn't long after Uriah was safely tucked away from prying eyes that Dieter could hear the infirmary doors fling open with a loud bang.

He came out to see Christina and Tris run in.

"Is Will here? Is he ok? Where is he?" she demanded.

"I don't know where he is." One of the nurses answered apologetically, trying to keep Christina from making a scene as the soldiers were seen to. "He should be here shortly. Why don't you take a seat over there." She showed the girls to a couple of chairs towards the front of the room before closing the curtains around the men she was checking over.

Four and Will entered several minutes later and Christina flew into Will's arms.

"Will! What happened? Are you alright." Seeing Christina broke Will's resolve. He looked at her as tears started to form in his eyes and overflow down his bloodstained cheeks.

In the background, Tris looked at Four with questioning eyes. He gave a small nod and walked over to her. They held each other as she cried silently into his chest as the news sunk in that they would forever be missing one of their dearest friends.

The nurses showed Will to one of the cots and began to clean his face and hands while asking him questions. Christina sat anxiously beside him, net wanting to let him go.

It was an hour before Zeke arrived from Abnegation. He looked pale and drawn, having been able to hear the distress call over the two-way but not being there to do anything for his brother. Max had greeted him at the garage doors just as Four had done for the first truck.

He came in through the infirmary entrance and could see Will, sitting on one of the cots and went straight over to him. Will's eyes widened slightly.

"I tried to help him. I tried –"

Zeke cut him off as he embraced him firmly. Will's tears overflowed once more as Zeke looked at him.

"I know. I could hear you over the radio. Are you alright?" his voice sounded strained, as though he'd been screaming for a long time and was now trying not to cry.

Will didn't answer. Christina leant over him to grasp Zeke's hand. Tris and Four, who he hadn't noticed until then, came up to hug him as well.

When Dieter asked if Zeke would like to see his brother to say goodbye, Four went with him into the back room. Zeke's hands were shaking as Dieter lifted back a white sheet to show Uriah's paled face. Dieter had cleaned him and closed his eyes so he would look more at peace.

"From what I can see, he was hit in the lungs through his back. His lung had collapsed and was filling with blood. Even if Will had medical training and the right equipment, he wouldn't have been able to save him out there."

Zeke's throat tightened as he and Four stood there. Dieter brought a chair over for Zeke.

"I'm profoundly sorry for your loss."

Dieter left the room as Zeke sat down in the chair. All he was feeling came rushing out as he broke down. He clutched onto Uri's body as he cried, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. Four stood beside him, never letting go of Zeke's shoulder all the while.

. . . . .

Eric walked into the Pub that night to find Zeke at the bar with Four, Tris, Christina, Will and Ro. Will looked as though he had showered and gotten a little rest.

The whole group were sitting there in silence and the scene was so unnatural to Eric. He sat on a stool next to Zeke and ordered a round for the group.

"Zeke, I just wanted to say" Eric faltered a little, really out of his depth when it came to words of comfort. "Uriah was a good guy. I liked him. I'm sorry he's gone." It was the best he could come up with but it would have to do.

"Thanks." Zeke mumbled out quietly, downing the rest of his old drink to start on the new one being placed in front of him. "Where's Maggie, man? I need her."

Eric lowered his gaze to the bar top.

"Dieter had to sedate her. She didn't – she didn't take the news well." Christina looked over to them.

"Is she in the infirmary?"

Eric nodded.

"I wish we'd known. We were all there for ages."

"How long until she wakes up?" Zeke asked.

"Dieter didn't think it would be until morning. I was going to stay there tonight so she doesn't have to wake up alone."

Zeke looked concerned.

"Let me know when you're going. I'd like to see her."

Ro came over to sit on Eric's other side. She sat silently for a while before her curiosity got the better of her.

"You said she didn't take it well. Is she ok?"

Eric shrugged. Zeke and Ro the only two close enough to hear if he responded quietly enough.

"I think so. She was just in shock I think."

"Has anyone spoken to Marlene?" Zeke asked.

"I let her know right after I told Maggie." Eric told them "She's got some time off work and is with friends now."

They lulled into silence again. Eric noticed Four was downing his drinks at double the rate of anybody else at the bar. He couldn't remember if Four had spoken a word since he'd joined them. When Tris went to touch him, he jolted away from her and slurred something incomprehensible to her. She sat back stunned and turned her attention back to Christina and Will. Eric narrowed his eyes thinking back on how cagey Four had been that morning and the lack of reports about cameras being down. He had known someone had been killed before word had gotten out to the rest of the Faction. Something wasn't adding up but he couldn't piece it together. As soon as Eric got the chance he was going to the control room to find out for sure if Four was telling the truth about those cameras or not. Perhaps they would be able to show him where Four had gone in the early hours of the morning.

Will and Christina were the first to leave. Will still half dazed and allowing Christina to guide him out of the pub. Four stood up and swayed heavily. Tris once again tried to touch him, to steady his stance and he threw his arm up.

"Just stop it would you!" he snapped causing Tris to flinch. Four, deeply inebriated didn't notice the hurt on her face. Ro stood up from her stool.

"Here, let me help you get him home." She offered in a hushed voice, not wanting to set Four off as well.

"Will you be alright?" Zeke wasn't as surprised at Four's actions as everyone else and looked on benignly.

"Yeah, I've got this. I'll stay with them tonight to help Tris out. You go be with Maggie." Eric felt a rush of respect for Maggie's tiny friend. She was loud-mouthed, meddlesome and highly inappropriate a lot of the time, but she was tough and always seemed to know exactly what was needed of her in moments like this. He could suddenly understand all too clearly why Maggie befriended her on their very first meeting.

"Give her a kiss from me." She requested as she and Tris shadowed Four out towards their apartment.

"He loved Uri like a brother. Ever since he left that worthless father of his, he's been one of us. Part of the family. I don't think he's felt a loss like this since his mother." Zeke tried to explain away Four's angry behaviour.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Eric didn't think that was it somehow. But he kept his mouth shut. Even her could be tactful when the situation called for it. "I think I'll go see how Maggie is doing." He said instead. Zeke finished the rest of his drink and went to pay but Eric waved him off.

"I've got it." He told the bar tender to take his points for their drinks and they went in the direction of the infirmary.

Maggie was still out when they arrived and Zeke sat down beside her on the bed. When he lay down next to her, Eric raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Instead, he dragged a chair over from the waiting area and sat down on her free side.

"We're gonna be ok, M." Zeke breathed out so softly, Eric barely heard him. "We're gonna get through this.

 **Please don't hate me! I didn't want to lose one of my favourites but its a big part if the overall plan I have for the storyline. It has centred around the closeness of Maggie's friends and I'm going to test them all out a bit. Things might be a little rough for a while. I hope I portrayed the emotion of the chapter alright, let me know what you think xx**


	21. Chapter 21

**This is a really short one. Its more of a set up for the next chapter but some important things are happening. Thanks so much to those who have left reviews. I got the loveliest pm about the story after uploading the last chapter which really made my day! Also super excited to have reached 100 followers! You're all wonderful xx**

 **Chapter 21**

Eric didn't sleep well. Between the discomfort he felt sitting upright in an awkward chair for hours on end and his mind whirring with grief over Uriah and uncertainty over Four, Eric felt like he'd go crazy if he had to stay in that room for much longer. Something didn't add up and he wanted answers. The only thing keeping him from leaving at once to interrogate control room members was knowing that any time now, Maggie would wake up and although she had Zeke there with her, he just couldn't go until he'd spoken with her.

She still looked so peaceful, untroubled by bad dreams thanks to the sedative she had been given. When Eric saw Zeke wake after a short slumber, he kept quiet and pretended to still be sleeping. As much as he wished he could be good at comforting right now, he knew he'd be using all his empathy up on Maggie soon enough.

Zeke was laying on his back, examining his ferris wheel tattoo when Maggie's eyes fluttered open. She looked around until her eyes landed on Eric slumped and sleeping in a chair beside the bed. She turned to her other side to find Zeke watching her and took hold of his wrist silently, tracing her fingers over the freshly inked flesh. Zeke slid his hand up until their fingers laced together and gave her hand a squeeze.

"It wasn't a bad dream was it?" Maggie whispered out in desperation. Zeke breathed out a heavy sigh and wrapped his arms around her.

"No. I wish it could be. It just doesn't feel real yet."

Maggie's eyes welled up and overflowed with silent tears. The two of them lay in the quiet, Eric's steady breath the only sound in the room.

"I can't remember the last thing I said to him." She continued on in a vague voice. "I can just see myself throwing bacon at his head as he left the mess."

Zeke let out a small chuckle which quickly turned to sobs as he too began to cry. They rested their foreheads together, holding on tight as they struggled through their heavy emotions. All the while, Eric sat in his chair as still as he could manage, not wanting to break them apart.

They spoke little after that. Their time filled with tears and Eric was glad to see Maggie acting more calmly but he also felt a pang of jealousy that he couldn't provide her with that form of comfort the day before.

When Dieter entered and switched on some lights, Eric used that as his queue to pretend he was waking up. He opened his eyes again and stretched his uncomfortable limbs, too long folded up in a much too small chair.

"Hi." He whispered to Maggie uncertainly. To his relief, she sat up and reached over to embrace him, clinging to him tightly. He in turn held on for dear life, not yet having been comforted himself. Zeke politely looked at his tattoo again not having a chance to move away yet. With a hand pressed firmly against her jaw, Eric looked at Maggie.

"Are you ok?"

Maggie was spared having to answer as Dieter knocked on the wall beside her curtain. He opened in slowly, peering in through the small gap.

"Morning." He greeted more seriously than Maggie could ever remember seeing him. She supposed that she had made quite a scene yesterday and frightened more than Eric.

"How is everyone doing today?"

He was answered with a round of non-committal sounds from the three of them. Busying himself with checking over Maggie after being so heavily sedated, they all went quiet again. Once Dieter was satisfied, he broached the subject of Uriah.

"I know this is the last thing you want to think about right now "He began slowly "but Zeke has requested that Uriah be cremated. Do you want to see him one last time before I go ahead?" he had said the words kindly but Maggie was still surprised and felt her stomach tighten at the prospect.

"It's alright if you don't want to." Dieter hastily added.

Eric, who was now seated beside Maggie on the bed squeezed her leg gently.

"I can go with you if you want?"

Maggie could feel herself shaking. Was it only yesterday that he had left the compound, his usual cheerful self? How come the world had to fall apart so suddenly all over again?

"I'm not – I don't think I can." She began crying again and felt frustrated at her own weakness. "I'm sorry." She said to no one in particular.

"It's ok." Eric whispered, tucking some stray hairs behind her ear.

"Alright. Well, is his memorial still to be held at sundown today?" Dieter asked Eric who confirmed with a nod.

"Well then, I'll make sure its all done before then. I will see you all there."

After that, Dieter made himself scarce as Maggie, Eric and Zeke gathered their belongings to leave. Maggie could see how wrecked Zeke looked.

"Do you want me to go with you to your apartment Zeke? I could get you something to eat if you like?" Zeke hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek as he pulled back.

"Thanks but I haven't really been alone since – everything. I'm gonna try at get some more sleep."

Eric held out his hand for Zeke to shake.

"If you need anything, let me know alright." After that they parted ways.

"Do you think you could eat before you go home?" Eric realised it had been over a day since Maggie would have gotten to eat anything. Maggie just shook her head.

"I don't think I could stomach anything yet."

Eric was just as quiet as Maggie while he walked her home. As they reached her door her hands were shaking again so he took the keys from her hand to unlock it for her. As the door swung open, Maggie walked in slowly, she moved toward the couch and sat down slowly and began staring, unseeingly at the opposite wall.

Eric went to the coffee bar in the corner to get her something to drink. When he returned to her, she hadn't moved from her spot. Sitting down beside Maggie, he handed her the coffee cup and wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into him, sipping the drink steadily as they both sat together.

At least twenty minutes passed before either made to talk. It was Maggie who broke their silence.

"Do you have to work today?"

Eric, who had been running his hand up and down Maggie's shoulder and arm paused to think.

"There are a couple of enquiries I have to make but then I can have the rest of the day."

Maggie felt as though an oppressive weight was coming down over her. She leaned heavily into Eric, turning her face into his chest.

"I don't want to be alone."

Eric simply held her tighter.

"Do you want me to call Ro to find out when she'll be back? Or you can come with me."

Maggie thought about it for a moment. She didn't want to become Eric's burden.

"You go. I can wait for Ro to come back too."

"Are you sure?" he sounded sceptical. "I can wait for her to get here before I go. Or call her or something."

"Its ok." She tried to reassure him. He didn't say much else and then he left. Maggie stood looking around her apartment. Before long, she could picture Uriah bounding through the door. She could see him lounging on the couch. Then she remembered the days she Uriah and Ro would lie on her bed and look out at the gates of the city.

The only place in her whole apartment she couldn't vividly picture him was in her bathroom. So she sat, fully clothed on the floor of her shower, curling herself up as small as she could. It was there she stayed.

. . . . .

Four's head was pounding. He could feel the blood pumping into it with every heartbeat, increasing the pressure and making it feel likely to explode. He was standing outside on his balcony and was vaguely aware of Tris and Ro talking in hushed voices inside. He knew he'd been an asshole to Tris the night before which added to all the shit he was piling on himself. He couldn't bring himself to look at her because he was too ashamed. Once they all knew what he'd been keeping from them, he'd lose everything.

He wanted to make it up to Tris but he didn't know where to start. Having Ro there made it that much harder for him. As much as she was helping Tris, he just needed his home back. By the time she finally left, he'd been standing out there for over an hour. Tris didn't come to him once Ro was gone. He thought maybe it would be for the best. He'd likely not be a free man soon and she would be able to move on without him dragging her back.

. . . . .

Eric let himself into the control room. He glanced around and found an older woman working alone. She was watching several screens and was so focused she hadn't noticed Eric enter.

"Where is everyone?" he demanded roughly causing the woman to break her concentration. She looked around at him scathingly before grunting and turning back to the screens.

"A couple of people have taken the week off. I don't have any replacements." She sounded bitter, practically spitting out the words.

"Are those cameras back up and running again." Eric demanded, ignoring the lack of respect she was showing towards him.

"What cameras?" her rough voice growled out. It sounded like she had spend the better part of forty years chain-smoking.

"The ones out near Candor. You had someone go out to fix them yesterday."

She now looked at Eric like he was crazy.

"No cameras have been down since the Factionless attack. I would have reported it if there were!"

With Eric's suspicions confirmed, he now really needed to know why Four had lied to him about it.

"Did you see Four at all yesterday?"

"He didn't show up for his shift. Figured it was because of that Pedrad kid. 'S why they're all slacking today."

"I need you to find him for me on yesterday's surveillance."

A few hours later, Eric emerged from the control room thoroughly frustrated. He'd seen Four leaving Dauntless and jumping on a train but they had searched and searched and couldn't spot where he'd gotten off. The cranky old bird in there didn't make matters any better. He was glad to get away from her in the end.

Surely, Four didn't have anything to do with what had happened to Uriah. But Eric couldn't help but feel that it had everything to do with the factionless. Four was certainly acting like someone overcome with guilt. The conundrum over Four was at the front of his mind as Eric went back to Maggie's apartment.

He could hear Ro's voice which made him feel better about having to leave her alone for so long. Letting himself in, he looked around for the girls but they weren't in the living area. He followed the sound of Ro talking until he reached Maggie's small bathroom. The pair of them were sitting cross-legged on the floor of her shower with their backs leaning against the wall.

"Uriah is everywhere in this apartment." Ro answered his questioning look before he could say a word. At once he understood. They had spent a lot of time with their fallen friend in this place. Of course they would remember him everywhere. He sat on the floor opposite them, thinking deeply. There was so much he didn't know about grieving. He'd never lost anyone he'd cared about before.

The hours passed by in a blur. Eric went down to the mess hall and brought the girls up some lunch which Ro accepted gratefully while Maggie picked at hers. She had at least eaten a little which made Eric feel better.

With sundown fast approaching, they left the quiet apartment for the busy chasm. It was overflowing with people who were almost as sombre as the girls had been through the day which made the space feel oppressive and uncomfortable. Eric was anxious to get the memorial over with so they could have their space back again.

They found the rest of their circle already waiting at the front of the pack and Eric noticed that Four didn't look much better than he had the night before. Tris looked miserable and was obviously trying not to look at him. Will started passing around a hip flask and when Eric took a swig he fought back a laugh. They were sharing around their favoured 'Uri special'. It seemed appropriate.

It was, as always, his responsibility to say something about the fallen soldier. He walked over to a group huddled around sharing a bottle of bourbon and snatched it out of their hands before returning to the edge of the chasm. He climbed halfway up the railing and the already mostly quiet crowd hushed completely seeing him towering over them.

He looked out at them all, then back to Maggie and beckoned her forward. She hesitantly stood beside him and he held onto her hand tightly. The crowd, now curious at Eric's display looked on with rapt attention.

"As you know, we are all here to say goodbye to one of our own. Uriah was a good soldier. He never shied away from a fight or from doing the right thing. But I think we will all remember him most as the life of this place. Every day he brought us laughter and friendship and he will be severely missed." his voice boomed out and he could see Maggie standing firm beside him. She was brave in that moment, looking stoic and strong even though he knew the depth of her pain. He raised his voice even louder with a passion as he continued his speech.

"The truth is that Uriah was killed in a senseless act by an enemy who have been terrorizing this city for too long. I have no words to show you how angry it makes me that they are still out there destroying the peace that we all deserve to live in." The crowd collectively began murmuring their agreement at his words. Zeke stood just a little bit taller, his eyes making contact with Eric who nodded.

"I stand here before you and promise that we will cut them all down one by one if we have to until every one of them is gone. We will make those factionless assholes pay!"

The crowd all let out almighty cheers as Eric lifted the bottle he was holding up. Maggie continued to stand tall and proud, her face showing strength although her heart was racing. She believed Eric completely. They would win this fight. She couldn't bear the thought of losing another person for nothing.

Four alone stood quiet through the cheering crowd. He didn't give any emotions away even when he saw Eric leer at him triumphantly. Before the noise began to dim, Four turned from them all and left, ignoring Tris and Zeke calling after him.

After the crowd had begun dispersing to the pit, Maggie turned and threw herself at Eric as he was jumping down from the rail. He almost lost his balance and had to steady himself for a moment before he could react to her small display of affection.

"Easy there, woman." He smiled, kissing the tip of her nose. He was aware that half the faction was still nearby and many were watching them with interest but right then, it didn't matter.

"You really meant that right? We're going after them?"

Eric pulled back so that she could see his face.

"We're going after them. They're gonna regret what they've done. I promise."

Maggie felt a surge of gratitude for him and kissed him fervently. She needed this glint of hope if she was going to survive the pain.


	22. Chapter 22

**Aaannd…once again, life has distracted me from the story. Sorry lovely people! It seems, I can't expect to upload at regular intervals like I used to but I'll do my best to upload sooner next time xx**

 **Chapter 22**

After the crowd had dispersed, Maggie could feel exhaustion take her over. She and Eric joined the rest of her friends. They had remained gathered in the same place as before Eric's speech – all with the exception of Four. By the look on Tris' face, she was upset but not altogether surprised that Four had left when he did. They could all see how much he had been struggling so nobody felt the need to draw extra attention to it.

Maggie noticed that Ro was trying to convince Will and Zeke to go to the wake with her but they looked to be as exhausted and drained as Maggie felt.

"Chris?" Ro turned on Christina who just clung to Will's side.

"Not tonight Ro. The rest of Dauntless didn't love Uri like we did. I can't watch them pretend to be in mourning."

"It's a celebration of his life!" Ro argued

"I don't feel like 'celebrating' anything, Ro." Will chipped in, glancing towards Zeke. He looked uncomfortable with the conversation and wouldn't meet Ro's eyes. It was then that she finally seemed to get it and stopped pushing the topic.

"I just want to turn in for the night." Maggie let them all know. She gave Zeke a quick hug, kissing his cheek before saying goodnight.

Eric silently led Maggie out of the chasm and back towards her apartment. Relieved to not have to justify missing Uriah's wake, she willingly let him. The rest of the night they spent mostly silent. When is suggestions of her eating something fell on deaf ears, he tried to get her to rest up.

While the thought of sleep was welcome to Maggie, try as she might, she just couldn't shut off her thoughts. For hours, she lay still, trying not to disturb Eric who looked so peaceful beside her. She tried to focus on him, watching him sleep and appreciating his beautiful face relaxed in slumber. At first this helped to block out thoughts of Uri but it didn't last for long. She began to feel restless, as though the memory of Uriah gave her jolts of energy that she couldn't ignore.

As smoothly and quietly as Maggie could, she snuck out of bed and dressed in training attire. She crept over to the bed, lent down and kissed Eric's lips gently before leaving him alone.

Running was the quickest way to get this energy out of her system and she didn't waste any time breaking out into a fast jog. Taking her usual route, it was a few short minutes before Maggie found herself out in the brisk night air. She wasn't sure what time it was exactly but she figured there would be plenty of time to go to the gym and take on the punching bag after her run and be back home before Eric woke up. There would be no benefit in showing him how much she was struggling to cope. It wouldn't do any good for him to learn just how weak she was.

 **. . . . .**

The more time Eric spent with Maggie, the more he knew how spot on Uriah had been about her. He kept that in mind as she struggled internally. If she knew how transparent it all was, she would most likely run from him and he had no intention of backtracking in their relationship after they had finally turned that corner.

He knew she couldn't sleep. Her breathing patterns hadn't changed and she didn't give that little sigh that signalled that she had drifted off. He lay there for hours, this somewhat unhinged woman in his arms, and pretended to be unaware of her. He could feel her eyes on him and wondered what was going on in that head of hers. The air was thick with something unspoken. A new kind of tension coming from her that had nothing to do with her previous doubts about Eric.

He could feel her leave the bed and later, come back to kiss him goodbye. As much as he wished he could pull her to him and kiss her back, he stayed still and waited for her to leave. Once the front door clicked behind her retreating back, Eric opened his eyes and looked out her window. The moon was almost full and illuminated the city beyond Dauntless in its silver glow.

Minutes passed before he could see Maggie running along the deserted road below. He got out of bed and watched her until she turned out of his sight.

" _She's afraid of it. She's afraid of loving anybody. She's afraid of anybody loving her."_ Uriah's voice reminded him. Each time he wondered if giving her this kind of space was a mistake, there Uriah would be, telling him _"All you need to do is keep the pressure off her."_

Yes, Uriah knew her better than anybody. Eric was sure she would work out what she needed to and as long as she knew he was there, maybe someday, she could feel safe enough to fall apart in front of him.

He was beginning to understand how hard Maggie and Ro had found it to be anywhere they had spent time with Uriah. Eric had never formed attachments with any of his fellow Dauntless before. The last couple of months had shown him how different things could be if he were less of an asshole. Uriah had genuinely been one of the few people he had enjoyed talking to. Zeke, of course, he had always respected, sometimes Will seemed alright although at times it came off like he was trying too hard, but Uriah was something else. A friend? Could Eric go as far as to call him that? He wasn't sure but given time, assuming things worked out with Maggie, he could have seen himself looking forward to drinks at the pub with him.

This caring thing was testing Eric. That much he did know. He began to feel a bit restless himself. If he knew Maggie at all, he would wager she'd head to the old gym after her run and knowing she would still need space, he decided on paperwork at the office. First stop would be his own apartment to get out of yesterday's clothes and shower before brewing a strong cup of coffee and endless hours of mind numbing desk work.

When he arrived at the office, Max was already there staring at a map of the city he had hung on the wall. Eric watched him for a while but Max just stood unmoving.

"I have been looking at this map for the last two days, trying to work out where in the hell we should be looking." Max stated, breaking the silence. Eric walked up beside him.

"At this point, it might just be worth doing a sweep of the entire city from East to West until we've left no stone unturned."

"That might be the only thing we can do." Max agreed. "We have to get rid of them. It's been a long time coming."

"I'll start working on a roster. The initiates are too green for this detail. I'll get the rest of patrol on in. They can coordinate with the control room crew. We'll set up new surveillance at each point after we've gone through it."

Max thought on it for a while, looking just as troubled as earlier.

"Alright." He answered "But I want Maggie pulled from patrol completely."

Eric's stomach plummeted.

"Sir, I don't think she'd – "

"It's too personal. She'll just end up getting herself or someone else killed."

"Do you want to give her the good news or should I?" Eric asked, his tone barely hiding his sarcasm.

"If you're worried about your balls, I'll do it." Max smirked when Eric shot him a murderous look. "Don't pretend you're not glad she'll be out of harm's way."

"I don't think benching that woman is going to be so easy." He warned.

"Oh I'm sure there'll be hell to pay!" Max agreed. "Still, she has to sit this one out."

"Once she gets back to work, I'll see to it that it's full-time in the infirmary." Once that was decided, Eric stood with his arms crossed in front of the map. "So where should the first sweep start?" He inquired, and he and Max began to plan.

 **. . . . .**

Four sat out on the balcony of his apartment, pen in hand. He read over the note he had written out carefully for Tris. He was almost certain that she would hate him for everything he had kept from her. It was all written down for her now and as soon as she woke and read this, she would know everything he did.

It was time to put Dauntless first again and turn himself in. Why put it off any longer? He had already wasted so much precious time that he was beginning to feel like a coward. A braver man would have confronted this head-on. Gone and faced whatever punishment awaited him – even execution – so that this faction stood a better chance of catching up with the factionless. The more days that passed, the more likely it was that Evelyn had moved those bastards on to the next safe place.

He took one last long look at the sunrise, knowing it was likely to be his last. Once inside, Four put his note on the kitchen counter for Tris to see when she first came out. Then he left.

As Max and Eric were refining their plan to flush out the factionless, Four knocked on the door. Eric squared his shoulders, feeling sure that he knew what was about to happen.

"Four. What can I do for you?"

Four hesitated briefly in the doorway before walking in.

"Max, Eric." He greeted with a stiff kind of formality. "There is something you need to know."

 **. . . . .**

Every muscle in Maggie's body burned. She had been at it for hours, trying to outrun her heartache. It seemed like she might just be tired enough to sleep by now. With the sun rising, she knew it was likely that Eric would be awake before she returned after all.

She needed a shower and maybe some food while she could still stomach it so Maggie made her way back to the apartment. Before reaching the housing section, however, she ran into Tris who was bolting out in some kind of panic.

"What's the matter?" Maggie asked as she tried to steady Tris.

Tris' eyes widened when she saw who she had just run into.

"Come with me." Tris urged before taking off again. Maggie dutifully followed her to the offices. Before she could even see the door, Maggie could hear yelling coming from inside.

"Oh no!" Tris cried out as she made her way to the door. Maggie was shocked by the sight before her as she turned into the office.

Max was gripping onto Eric from behind by the sleeves and collar. Eric, in turn was straining to get free. He was yelling incoherently as he desperately tried to get at something Maggie couldn't see yet. She did notice his busted up hand. There was blood dripping from it and bruising was already forming around the knuckles.

Tris gasped and lunged towards the floor and to Maggie's shock, there she saw Four. He was conscious from what she could tell. What made no sense was how he didn't appear to be trying to defend himself from Eric's attack. Maggie couldn't fathom what would cause Eric to act out like this and her body wasn't responding to her need to move in between the two men.

Thankfully, Tris and Max were not so frozen and although Tris was a quarter of Eric's size and Max was barely hanging on to him, they were keeping Eric at arm's length for now. Both their urges to stop Eric were falling on deaf ears. He wouldn't stop this assault for anything. Maggie struggled through a fog of sluggishness. It was as though she wasn't really there. She tried to find her voice but no sound came out.

Eric broke free of Max's hold and although Tris was fast, she didn't stand a chance against Eric right now. He manoeuvred out of her line of defence and rounded on Four. Four stood up, bracing for what was coming but was unwilling to stop it.

What the hell? Maggie thought to herself as she watched on in horror.

"You piece of fucking shit!" Eric growled out as he swung his closed right fist at Four's jaw. It connected with a loud crack and Four staggered. It was then that he noticed Maggie watching on.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to her, looking desperate.

Maggie shook herself out of her trance.

"Eric?" her voice was soft, confused and unsure. Somehow, through his rage, Maggie got Eric's attention.

"What is this?" she asked as her heart raced. Eric's eyes softened momentarily as he looked at her. It was short lived however. He looked away from her and back to Four.

Max cut in, holding something metallic in his hands.

"Four, I'm placing you in custody until I can figure out what to do with you." In all the time Maggie and known Max he had never sounded like this towards anyone. It was a strange mix of coldness and defeat.

He placed some cuffs around Four's wrists as Tris stood on helplessly. Four leaned over and rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you." He told her solemnly as Max lead him out of the room. Tris' eyes shimmered but she had a determined look on her face.

"It'll be ok. We'll work it out." She vowed as Max ushered Four out of the room.

"What is happening?" Maggie cried out. She went over to Eric, reaching out to touch his shoulder but thinking better of it when he flinched away.

"Her" Eric spat out as he pointed to Tris "piece of shit boyfriend is the reason Uriah is dead!"

Maggie recoiled, glancing between Eric and Tris. One looking furious and the other terrified.

"That isn't possible." She defended

"You really think that don't you?" Eric furrowed his brows.

"Four loved Uri. He'd never hurt him!" Tris spat out.

"Eric?" Maggie felt confused and the pain she was trying so desperately to outrun was pushing back again.

"He's been meeting with the factionless leaders for months. His mother is one of them."

"No. Four's mother is dead." Maggie's confusion was growing the longer this conversation went on.

"Apparently not. And she orchestrated the attack at Amity. He could have stopped her long before anything like that happened."

Maggie looked around the room as her throat tightened from trying not to cry. She didn't know what to think.

"I'm sure there is more to it than that." She defended "If Four knew what they were planning he would have put a stop to it."

"If Four knew?" Eric called out with a humourless laugh. "Wake up Maggie. Four knows more than that."

"Eric, stop it!" Tris warned. Maggie looked between them with worry for what they both seemed to know.

"Maggie, she's the one. She killed your family and Four knew about it."

Maggie's breaths came in shallow pants as she worked to stay calm. Her body felt hot and cold all at once and she could feel it shuddering. Tris took a step toward her but Maggie turned her back a walked away leaving a desperate Tris and a pissed off Eric to work their own shit out.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Max escorted a handcuffed Four to the holding cells in the lower levels of Dauntless. Four never dreamed that one day he would be a prisoner here. He had always been a dedicated by-the-book soldier. He was mentally kicking himself for letting things with Evelyn get this far. Really, he'd just wanted his mother back and for a brief time, it looked like that dream was in his grasp. She turned out to be far worse than his father. What did that make Four? They always say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree so did that mean it was only a matter of time before he did unspeakable things as well?

Max was talking but Four couldn't hear a word of it. It wasn't until Tris came running in that Four snapped out of his reverie and paid attention to what was being said.

"Tris," Max started "you can't be here."

"I just need to see him for a minute."

"I'm sorry, but that won't be possible right now. Eric and I need to have a meeting with the other leaders before anything else happens."

Tris looked at Four who swallowed. He could see his Tris looking so desperate and worried. He had expected to see only hatred from her. She had loved Uriah like a brother and it was Four's fault that she would never get to see him again. There wasn't an ounce of anger on her face, however. He didn't understand it.

Tris looked at him, standing too far away to touch him, she conveyed her sincerity with her gaze.

"Four, don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault."

Four didn't say anything. He couldn't do this with Max present. He didn't want to say anything to defend himself when he knew he deserved to be here. He could feel blood drip down from a cut on his cheek and his eye was beginning to swell shut. It didn't hurt yet but as soon as his adrenalin wore off he would have that to deal with as well.

"He needs medical attention." Tris told Max sternly. "I know you're angry but he needs a nurse to see to that."

Max opened a cell door and guided Four into it before locking him inside.

"Yeah, I'll see who is available." He answered quietly. "I never thought you'd be one I'd have to put in here." He told Four. Without another word he took Tris by the elbow and led her out.

Four listened to the door to the rest of Dauntless close and lock him in. Besides him, the cells were empty. He looked around his cell, heart sinking, before walking over to the bed to sit down. He had at last done what he should have done months ago and now all that was left was to wait to find out what they would do with him. Knowing Eric, it wouldn't be good.

 **. . . . .**

Eric spent an age looking for Maggie before finally finding her sitting on the steps of the fire escape to his apartment. Her hair was freshly washed and almost dry and he could see that she was wearing one of his training shirts. It was massive on her, reaching mid-thigh. She could hear him approaching so she slid to the side of the step to make room for him to join her.

"You alright?" he asked while looking out at the view of the city. It was still early yet so much had changed since she had left him alone in her bed that morning.

Maggie shrugged. She took a breath and went to speak but just shook her head, giving a small ironic laugh.

"I just…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say. She couldn't wrap her head around any of it. Uriah was gone. Four's supposed dead mother was alive and had killed not only her friend but her entire family as well and somehow, Four was involved. In one aspect of if at least.

"Come here." Eric whispered out. He draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her against him as he kissed her forehead. Maggie rested her head on his chest and held onto him. They sat in silence for a while, Eric kissing her hairline every now and then.

Maggie had been playing with the hem of his shirt for a while when Eric broke the silence.

"It looks good on you."

"I hope you don't mind. I needed a shower."

"Anything you need, woman. How did you get in?"

"I broke in through the front door." She stated simply.

"Another thing to add to the Maggie Ivor skill-set." He joked "So what's wrong with your apartment?"

"Ro is there and she doesn't know about Four yet. I didn't want to get into it just now."

"Would you rather be alone right now?" Eric was once again unsure what Maggie needed and hoped it was safe enough to ask her.

Maggie pondered on it for a few seconds.

"I didn't want anyone but you finding me."

Eric hid the small smirk that followed her confession by pulling her to sit on his lap. He enveloped her with his large arms and rested their foreheads together. Maggie leaned forward to give him a chaste kiss.

"Will things ever get better?" she wanted to know. Right now things felt just fine in Eric's estimation but he knew what she meant.

"I think a lot has got to happen before things can get any better."

Eric's phone buzzed and he could see that Max needed him to return to the office.

"I have to go. Max is holding a meeting about Four with the rest of the leaders." He let her know.

"What will happen to him?" Maggie asked, not moving from her spot on Eric's lap.

"That's what we'll have to decide. Do you have any opinions on what we should do?"

Maggie sighed. What a burden the leaders had to carry when it came to punishing their own.

"I don't know the full story yet. I think I need to talk to him."

"Are you sure?" He asked, needing her to think on it. She nodded earnestly. Eric sat looking at her and she could see him trying to make up his mind.

"Alright. Go get dressed and stop by my office. I'll get you the key."

"Thank you." She kissed him before getting up and helping him to stand. Once they were both up, Eric drew Maggie towards him and pressed his lips to hers in a slow, sweet kiss.

"See you soon." They parted ways briefly as Maggie returned to her apartment to get a fresh set of clothes and to braid her hair. By the time she reached the office, Eric was in a conference room with the other leaders and Max was addressing them. Eric could see her through the glass panel and got up quietly to show her a set of keys. He sorted through them, until he reached an older looking brass one.

"This is for the outer door to the holding cells. Coop was on duty but he's in the meeting so it'll just be you and Four."

"Thanks." Maggie whispered, sneaking a look into the conference room, wondering what was being said.

"Are you alright to go alone?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Maggie assured him. "I'll see you later."

Eric tucked a stray hair behind her ear, resting his hand along her jaw briefly before returning to Max's side. Maggie didn't linger for long. If she didn't hurry to speak with Four she would lose her nerve in no time.

Maggie wasn't overly familiar with the prison section of Dauntless but from a brief tour they were given during initiation, she could remember the general layout. She could see the entrance, and where Coop would be if he wasn't busy weighing in on Four's fate.

There was a large set of double doors that she needed to use the key for and she let herself in, locking the doors again after she had gone through. When she turned around, Maggie could see the almost empty room save for the cell holding Four.

He was sitting on his bed watching her cross the room towards him. There weren't any chairs for her so she sat on the floor, leaning her back on the bars of the cell opposite his. They sat watching each other for a while, neither really sure where to start. Maggie drew her knees up and rested her arms around them before she finally looked at him properly.

"How long did you know?" she asked him.

"I found out my mother was still alive the first day I went out looking for the factionless." Four told her.

"That was a long time ago."

"Yeah." Four answered, sighing and looking away.

"So, Eric said she's their leader now. Did she recruit you already?"

"It's not that simple, Maggie."

Maggie played with a frayed patch on the knees of her leggings. She didn't know if she was angry, disappointed or sad.

"Did she tell you what her plans are?"

"Not all of them." If Maggie didn't know Four so well, she would think he was completely unattached to all this. He looked so cool. So disconnected. But she did know him. She could see he was hurting and feeling guilty but it just made her angry.

"How long did you _know_?" She repeated her earlier question leaving no doubt about the real meaning. Four clenched his jaw and she could tell he knew exactly what she wanted to know.

"I only found out after Uriah had been shot."

"Bullshit."

"It's true."

"Don't lie to me." Maggie argued.

"Maggie, it's true. I mean it." Four urged her to listen. "The morning the factionless attacked amity, Evelyn called me in to see her. She left me sitting in a room for hours claiming to be busy. When she finally came in to talk to me she told me about some big plans she was carrying out and that she wanted me on board with it. When I asked questions, she told me about your family. I didn't know anything before that, Maggie, I promise you. When I realised what she was, she began gloating about how they had began the next phase of their plan and one of our soldiers was dead."

Maggie sat, listening to what he was telling her. When she didn't say anything, he continued.

"As soon as she said that, I rushed back. I ran into Eric and knew that it was too late. I would never hurt Uriah. You know he was as good as a brother to me."

That awakened a rage in Maggie that she hadn't felt in a long time.

"A brother to you?" she spoke out with a false silkiness as her blood boiled beneath the surface. "He was all I had, Four and that bitch took him from me. You know, I saw everything the night my family died. The woman who slit my Father's throat took _pleasure_ in it. She was sick and _evil_! That's the woman you left loose in the city?"

"Maggie, I – "

"Eric was right. If you had turned her in when you first found her, Uriah would still be alive."

Four dropped his head, looking at the floor in shame.

"I hope you're tied to a post and shot for this." She seethed. "You don't deserve any better!"

Without another word, Maggie left. She couldn't feel anything but blind hatred toward someone she had once believed to be a friend. When she arrived at the offices to return the keys to Eric, she could see they were still in their meeting. Once again, Eric spotted her and came out.

"Here." She placed the keys in his hand abruptly, still feeling too much. "What have you decided?"

"We're taking Four out so he can show us the Factionless headquarters. If they're even still there. After that, he'll have a trial. It'll all happen pretty quickly I think."

"Alright. Do you want me to get the patrol squads geared up?" Maggie wanted to feel useful but more than anything, she needed to get some of this rage out.

"It's already being done." Eric told her slowly. "And, you're staying here."

"Fuck that!" Maggie scoffed "I can't be left out of this, Eric!"

"You're benched Maggie. You, Zeke and Will are to stay here on Max's orders. And mine. It's too personal for all of you."

Maggie clenched her jaw, balling her hands into fists.

"And what am I supposed to do from here, _Sir_?"

Rather than being rattled by her defiance, Eric couldn't help but feel relieved. There was the Maggie that had been missing since Uriah's death. That spark had been ignited again. Disappointing her was the last thing he wanted but he knew in her current state, Maggie would be the least effective member of the crew.

"Take the day. Go and shit talk about me with Zeke and Will. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"This isn't over!" Maggie warned. Wisely, Eric didn't give the smirk he wanted to.

"Fair enough." He answered.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie found Zeke and Will in the mess hall with Christina, Tris and Ro. She could tell they'd already gotten word of Dauntless' very eventful day. They were mostly quiet, none of them eating and all just staring at the table they were sitting at. Maggie sat down next to Zeke.

"Can you believe they ordered us to stay behind?" Will sounded as pissed off as Maggie felt about the entire situation.

"I still can't believe they're letting Four go." Zeke added. Tris looked up, startled by the tone Zeke used saying Four's name.

"He wants to make amends. I'm glad he's going. It'll give him something to think about for a few hours." Ro defended Four in Tris' place.

"You mean other than guilt?" Maggie retorted. Tris' eyes widened momentarily before she gave an incredulous laugh, shaking her head.

"Hey! He was doing his best in an impossible situation, Maggie. What would you do if your mother showed up alive after all these years?" Christina joined in, taking Four's side.

"That bitch is the one who killed my mother!"

"Four didn't know that." Ro spoke calmly, trying to diffuse the situation.

"So he says." Maggie wasn't ready to let go of her blame just yet. She could see Will and Zeke both nodding in agreement with everything she was saying. "He could have stopped the Amity attack from ever happening."

"It's in the leaders hands now so there's no point in arguing over it." Ro continued to play peace maker.

"Look, all I know is that my best friend is dead and I had to watch him take his last breath in my arms. I say that whatever punishment Four gets is less than what he deserves." Will stated firmly, leaving most of their group shocked.

"What if he's executed?" Christina asked, her mouth gaping. When Will didn't answer, Christina turned to Zeke. "Four is your best friend. Surely you don't want to see him die!"

Zeke looked between Christina, Tris and Ro. "I think he should have stopped the factionless when he had the chance."

"I've heard enough." Ro said as she stood up from her chair. Tris and Christina were quick to follow. Ro looked over at Maggie. "You really feel the same way as they do?" she asked.

"I do." Maggie answered without hesitation.

"Find somewhere else to stay tonight." Ro told her before the girls left the mess hall.

 **. . . . .**

Eric walked down the hall toward his apartment later that evening, frustrated and needing a stiff drink. He was surprised to see Maggie sitting on a small backpack beside his front door.

"I thought I'd wait to be let in this time." She said, answering his confused look.

Eric reached his hand down to help her up. Once she was standing, he picked up her bag from the floor. He unlocked the door and nodded his head for her to go in before him.

"Something wrong?" he asked as she sat down on a stool at his breakfast bar. He reached for the bottle of bourbon he always had nearby and poured them each a shot.

"Ro and I got into a fight. Actually, we all kind of did. The whole lot of us. Anyway, she kicked me out."

"Is this all about Four?"

"Yeah. It's crazy that we've never argued like this before. This feels like it's not going away anytime soon."

Eric took his shot and Maggie quickly followed.

"He showed us where the Factionless had been living. They're all cleared out now."

Maggie threw her head back and cried out in frustration.

"I knew that would happen! Is it not enough that he got Uri killed, now he could have just lost us this war!"

"I know! Now we're no better off than when we started." Eric poured them each another shot but before he drank his, he went to the fridge to pull out some leftovers and heat them up. "So, you staying here for a while?" he asked her casually from the other side of the kitchen.

"Just until I can work something out. If that's cool?" Maggie could have kicked herself for sounding so desperate at the end. Eric put his hand in his pocket and fished out a single key.

"Good thing I got this cut for you already." He placed the key in her hand, his half smile making an appearance for the first time in days. Maggie raised an eyebrow in questioning. "If it keeps you from having to break-in again, right?"

"Thanks." She smiled, looking down shyly as he put the heated food in front of her. They ate their dinner, talking about anything that came to mind. Both of them wanting to forget about everything else however briefly. Once their plates were cleared, Eric turned serious once more.

"So, back to Four." He began

 _Ok, moment over_ Maggie thought to herself.

"His trial is going to be held in a couple of days. Things could get ugly. Are you sure you can handle that?"

Maggie furrowed her brows. Really, she wasn't sure about anything. The life she had been building was showing cracks and could come crashing down at any moment.

"I think I'm scared." She admitted.

"That's what you've got me for." Eric tried to reassure her "Are you with me?"

"I'm with you." She promised him, reaching out to take hold of his hand. "Now, will you take me to bed? The world is turning to shit and I need you to distract me from it for a little while."

Eric stood up from his chair and picked Maggie up bridal style, carrying her to his bedroom.

 **So pig-headed Maggie has arrived. She may not be super likable for a while but I guess that depends on whose side you're on. I wanted to show how differently each one of them is affected by grief and what lengths they will go to. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I've started to really enjoy writing again and am making use of the motivation. Please leave a review cause I love to know what you lovely people think xx**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Maggie woke up to Eric kissing her bare shoulder. She burrowed herself as close to him as she could and smiled at the way he pulled his arms around her even tighter. They laid like that for several minutes and Maggie focused on the feeling of skin to skin and how she fit in his arms so perfectly. It is in times like these that Maggie is able to feel some semblance of happiness. Only ever when she is being held together by Eric.

It was still dark and Eric's alarm hadn't gone off yet but all too soon, they would have to part ways so that he can go to the offices. She isn't sure how to pass the time while he's gone. Even though she hasn't had much time to deal with her grief, it is probably time she goes back to her training. At least it will give her something else to think about.

She turned over so that she was facing Eric and he adjusted the blankets to cover her again. They rested their heads together as Maggie brought her hand up to trace her finger along his jawline. He hadn't had a chance to shave in a couple of days and she was liking the stubble look on him.

"You should keep this." She told him as she continued to play with his facial hair. Eric smirked and kissed her on the tip of her nose.

"Do you like your men to look dishevelled?"

Maggie let out a giggle and shook her head.

"It isn't dishevelled, it's sexy." She traced her hand down to his chest, playing with the hair there. He was the definition of masculinity. Eric growled and rolled Maggie onto her back, pinning her underneath him. He kissed her deeply and she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer to her.

He was just getting her worked up when his alarm went off. Maggie groaned in frustration as he shifted off her to turn of the offending noise.

"Later." He gave her one last quick kiss before rolling out of bed.

"Do you really have to go now?" Maggie attempted to look as seductive as she could. It could have been working because Eric looked torn about whether he should stay or go.

"Sorry, woman. I have a lot going on today." Maggie was reminded of Four and felt guilty that she was here in a comfortable, warm bed trying to get lucky when he was in a cold jail cell alone and unsure of his fate. Considering how angry she was with him it surprised her that she felt this kind of concern.

"If I want to look the least bit professional, I'll have to shave this." Eric indicated his stubble that Maggie had only just been admiring. Maggie gave a protesting sound and Eric chuckled as he walked into the bathroom. Immediately cold and feeling the sadness crowding back in on her, Maggie decided that today was definitely the right time to go back to work.

She got up and let herself into Eric's bathroom, invading his space in the shower. He just shook his head, handing her the shampoo and they took turns standing under the stream of water.

Once showered, Maggie braided her hair while Eric shaved. They decided on getting breakfast from the mess hall and Eric guided her with his arm draped over her shoulder the whole way. Eric couldn't help but notice how they looked like a normal couple getting ready for another day. He hoped Maggie didn't make the same connection. As much as he wished for this kind of life with her someday, she was still essentially a runner and he wasn't confident that she wouldn't freak out again.

The mess hall was mostly deserted at this time of day, with the exception being members of the patrol crews getting something to eat before their shifts began. It wouldn't be long before Maggie's medical training was finished and she would get to go out with them again full-time. As much as she enjoyed working at the infirmary and being in Dieter's company, she couldn't wait to feel like she was doing something to stop the factionless again.

They each went to pour themselves a coffee and collected some food on their plates. Eric spotted Zeke and Will and pointed them out to Maggie. They went over to join them.

"Are you going back out already?" Maggie asked them. She thought it must still be too soon for them, especially Will, to be going back to work. He should be going to counselling for a while before he is cleared to go on patrols.

"Nah," Zeke shook his head, answering for the both of them. "Just so used to being awake this early."

"Are you sleeping alright?" She wanted to know.

"Dieter gave me some sleeping pills the other day." Will told her "They were helping alright but they couldn't help me block out this guy's snores last night. Trying to sleep on a couch didn't help any either."

Eric gave a look of confusion

"Why are you sleeping on Zeke's couch?"

Maggie gave a knowing look.

"Christina not so happy with you either?"

"We're all kind of at odds," Zeke explained to Eric. "We said some stuff about how we feel about Four and his trial that the girls didn't like."

"Right," Eric answered "Maggie mentioned something about that. So where do you guys stand on Four's trial?"

"I don't really know what will happen at the trial." Will answered, "But everything with Uriah is still fresh and as much as I wish I didn't, I can't help but blame him."

"Me as well." Zeke added. "He could have told someone about Evelyn. Maybe things would have turned out differently if he had."

"What exactly is he facing anyway? What will happen to him?" Will asked Eric.

"We're trying to get Jack Kang from Candor to conduct the trial and administer Four with truth serum. Under normal circumstances, for the lesser crimes, we would usually cut him from Dauntless but that isn't an option this time." Eric began. "It could be as little as a suspension or demotion but if Max and the other leaders decide to make an example of him, he could be executed for treason."

Will dropped back in his seat and Zeke rubbed his face with his hands. Maggie sat quietly to the side, not saying a word, nor moving at all.

"I know I said a lot of stuff yesterday and I know he shouldn't get away with it but hearing you say execution is a possibility makes it all so real. I don't know what to think." Will stated honestly.

Eric could understand their anger towards Four and he was beginning to get the loyalty as well.

"You could be called up as character witnesses in the trial. This is the time to think about what outcome you want to see. It might not hold a lot of weight with the other leaders but you never know." They all nodded in understanding. Eric continued. "Wherever you stand, tell me. I don't hold much sway but I can at least pass it on to Max to consider."

They sat and continued talking about what to expect and finished up their breakfast. By the time Eric had to leave for the offices, Maggie was feeling anxious and confused about Four and everything else.

"It's going to be a big day. I'll see you at home for dinner?" He asked her. She nodded, giving him a small smile. Eric gave her leg a gentle squeeze under the table and kissed her on the cheek as he got up from his chair.

"Zeke, Will." Eric gave them a nod as his way of saying goodbye.

"Later, Dude." Zeke told him.

Once Eric was out of the mess hall, Maggie turned to the boys.

"What have you guys got planned for the day?"

"I've got counselling for some of the morning." Will told her. "We were thinking about hitting the gym for something to pass the time later if you want to join?"

"Thanks, but I was actually thinking about going in to the infirmary to see if I could start back up."

Zeke was still sitting quietly, staring at the table. Maggie reached across and took his hand.

"Hey." She said quietly. "How are you doing?"

Zeke sighed heavily and shook his head. Maggie began to feel awful that she had been so absorbed in her own grief that she hadn't looked in on Zeke as much as she should.

"Actually, Dieter can spare me for a while longer. I think I'll join you today." She saw Zeke give a half smile and resolved to focus on helping him as much as she could.

 **. . . . .**

Four heard the doors to the cell block opening and looked out. His heart started to race at the sight of Tris walking in to see him. She came up to the bars and reached through to take hold of his hands.

"How are you?" she asked him, taking in the bruises to his face from the beating he took from Eric.

Four didn't answer, he just held onto her hands like they were his lifeline. She squeezed them back and reached up to touch his face.

"I wish you'd talked to me about this." Tris scolded lightly but her eyes were shimmering and he knew she didn't hold any anger towards him.

"I know, Tris. I'm so sorry. I didn't know what I was supposed to do."

"Did you ever think about leaving?"

Four closed his eyes, his brows furrowed and leaned into Tris' hand as she stroked his cheek.

"No and I would have never left you." He spoke seriously "But, she was dead. I went to her funeral and spent years missing her and then she was back. I just wanted to believe everything could be ok between us and the factionless but she was just manipulating me."

"I really wish you'd talked to me. All this time I thought you wanted me out of your life but didn't know how to tell me." Tris admitted, feeling foolish, girly and weak.

"Tris," Four felt awful all over again, knowing he had put her through hell and their troubles were only going to get worse from here. "I can't tell you how much I regret hurting you like that."

"I've been trying to get Max to tell me what will happen from here but now that it is up to a trial, we have to wait to find out."

Max had told Four the same thing earlier that day and that the trial would be held tomorrow.

"We have less than a day to wait until we find out." He spoke up again "Max said that the trial will be held tomorrow morning. Jack Kang will be heading it."

"Will it be held at Candor?" Tris asked with widened eyes.

"I'm not sure, Tris. That's all I have been told about it so far."

Tris looked around pensively for a while. "I won't let them take you from me. No matter what, Four. I promise."

"Tris, don't get yourself into trouble for me." Four warned her. There was no way he could handle anything happening to her because of him.

"Four, I'll do what I can to help your trial but if it doesn't turn out, you better be ready to run with me. We'll be ok and make it work either way alright? I love you."

"I love you too, Tris."

 **. . . . .**

Maggie had spent the rest of the day with Zeke and Will after he had finished his counselling session. They mostly hung around in Zeke's apartment except for a couple of hours when they went to the gym. Maggie wasn't used to going to the new gym and it didn't take her long to remember why she hated it there so much. It was always so crowded with members of the faction who weren't on their shifts and although the equipment was newer and more varied, everything in the abandoned gym was old-school and from a tougher generation. Not to mention more private. It looked like every person in the place wanted to come up to Zeke and offer condolences which only served as a reminder of what they all wanted to forget. Eventually Will had stood up on one of the weight machines to get everyone's attention and tell them all to back off.

By dinner time, Maggie walked back to Eric's apartment and had to stop herself from knocking when she remembered the key he had given her the night before. Once inside, she could see that Eric was still not home from work. She didn't want him to have to deal with dinner after such a long day but she was a terrible cook. Picking the key back up, Maggie set off to the mess hall to get food for them both.

Walking into the mess, Maggie went straight to the line waiting for food. As she stood there, she looked around and saw Zeke and Will sitting with Brad and Jason from her patrol crew. She could also see Tris, Christina and Ro at their usual table very carefully not looking in her direction. Maggie knew she had said things that were hurtful about Four and didn't blame the girls for not wanting to even look at her right now. Even so, she couldn't stop herself from feeling so angry at him. Rational or not.

Once at the front of the line, Maggie picked up two to-go containers and started dishing out an assortment from the smorgasbord. She made sure to serve up extra helpings for Eric and handed her points card to the kitchenhand.

Wanting to get back before Eric, Maggie attempted to hurry back through the housing sector. She wasn't far from her own apartment when she was stopped by Ro standing in her path seemingly waiting for her.

"Maggie, don't you think this has gone far enough?" she asked her in an urgent whisper.

"What do you mean?"

"Surely you don't really think Four deserves to be executed?" Ro continued in a hushed voice as several people walked passed them, glancing curiously at them so deep in serious discussion.

"It's out of my hands Ro. The trial is happening tomorrow." Maggie answered in as calm a voice as she could muster.

"But are you going to speak against him in the trial?" Ro wanted to know. Maggie could see how disturbed Ro felt about the possibility of Maggie wanting such a bleak end to Four's life.

"Ro, I still don't know the whole story. Once he's been administered the truth serum, we will all know one way or another what the right thing to do is."

"It shouldn't matter!" Ro's voice was beginning to carry a little and she had to check herself as more dauntless members walked past the pair.

"Don't you even care about Uri? Doesn't he deserve justice?" Maggie snapped, still trying to be discreet in their semi-public setting.

"How can you even ask that?" Ro was starting to lose her cool as well. "I loved him as much as you did. But you must know that letting Four be executed because of it isn't justice. We need to find Evelyn and make her answer for it. This trial is a distraction from our real enemy. Besides the fact that he is one of the kindest and bravest people in this faction, he's one of us! He's a good man, Maggie and he's counting on us to help him right now."

Maggie could feel her stubborn streak kick in. She didn't want to hear this voice of reason when she had been so resolved to stand by whatever decision the leaders would make after the trial.

"I still think he needs to answer for it. I know you don't agree but this is what needs be done This isn't about us. A member of Dauntless is dead and someone must answer for that. I know you don't agree, but it's bigger than us and what we want. It's about the law."

Ro stood just a little bit straighter and her face became like stone.

"If you go against us tomorrow, I'll never forgive you. Do you understand? We'll be done for good."

Maggie's heart pounded and she felt sick at all she was losing so quickly.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." She said before continuing toward Eric's apartment, fighting back tears.

Upset by her interaction with Ro, Maggie went back to Eric's apartment and let herself in. She could see Eric had returned and was looking through the fridge for something to make for dinner.

"Hey." He greeted as he turned around to look at her. He noticed straight away that something was wrong and let the fridge door close as he walked up to her, bringing his hand up to cup her face. "What's the matter?" he asked her gently.

Maggie put the to-go bag on the counter and leaned into him. He engulfed her with is arms and let her have a moment to gather herself.

"Just another disagreement. This trial is causing such a rift between everyone."

"One more day and it'll be done with."

Maggie brought her arms up to rest on his chest as she searched his eyes.

"Sure, but the ramifications could last us our lifetimes! Is this the right thing?" he knew she still meant Four's fate and he took her to sit on the couch.

"He turned himself in so it's the only thing that can be done." Watching her closely, Eric narrowed his eyes at her. "We have to do what is right for the faction. I need to know that no matter what comes tomorrow, you're with me. Are you with me, Maggie?"

She nodded solemnly "I'm with you."

 **. . . . .**

Morning arrived and Maggie hadn't slept a wink. She couldn't shut her mind off no matter how hard she tried and it all revolved around Four. What was she going to say today in that courtroom? She felt so torn because even though she was still so angry at him, he was one of them.

She kept thinking about when she had been stranded out at the factionless compound with Four and Eric and how they had worked so well together to escape. He'd been there for her when she lay almost dying and so many times after that.

How could he keep such a huge detail about the enemy of the city to himself? But then, how could she let one of her own be executed? She would shake her head and think, surely, they won't sentence him to death after all? Maybe it won't be as bad as all that.

At one point, she had worked herself up so much with confused worry that nausea hit her hard and she had to rush to the bathroom, emptying the contents of her stomach violently. After she brushed her teeth and splashed water over her face, she was back to being angry with him all over again.

Eric, on the other hand, slept like a log the whole night through. Nothing on his conscience at all. Was he confident that this was right? Was he really that closed off that this didn't affect him at all?

Maggie groaned and rolled over in bed again. This night couldn't end fast enough. After agonizing slow hours of her restlessness, Eric rolled over and draped an arm across her stomach and pulled her close into him. With a kiss to her temple, he was back asleep and Maggie tried closing her eyes and shutting out all thoughts except for those of Eric. It was less than twenty minutes later that his alarm went off and she felt completely drained.

Breakfast at the mess hall did little to ease Maggie's messed up thoughts as once again, she and Eric joined Zeke and Will, while Tris, Christina and Ro sat elsewhere. Maggie caught Ro shooting her angry looks and Will tried to hide his sneaky glances over to Christina. Whatever the outcome of this trial, she knew there was even more heartache in their future.

Max walked over to their table and Maggie could see Ro watching after him. He leaned down and handed Eric a piece of paper, whispering something in his ear. Eric nodded his understanding before quickly looking at the note in his hands.

"Jack Kang has requested we arrive at Candor by seven. I'm escorting Four there with Max so I'll have to meet you there." He answered their silent questions. Then he looked at Maggie "Walk me out?"

She knew he wanted to speak with her before they separated so she got up and went in the direction of the offices with him. As they reached the doorway, he turned and brought his arms up to her waist.

"How are you doing?" he wanted to know.

"I'm hanging in there." Bringing her hands up to rest on his shoulders, she answered as steadily as she could under the circumstances.

"Are you having second thoughts about speaking against him? If you are, tell me now."

She hesitated, thinking on it. "I still believe everything I've been saying."

"Alright. When you get there, just stick with Will and Zeke. The Candor officials will tell you what to do and where to go. I'll try to find you as soon as I can."

Maggie nodded in understanding and let out a shaky sigh. Eric leaned down and kissed her, letting her hold onto him for a few moments longer. Once he walked away she re-joined Zeke and Will until it was time for them to board the train.

Eric met Max in his office and they walked down to Four's cell together. Little needed to be said that they hadn't gone over the day before. When they walked in, Four was sitting on his bed, looking calmly at the wall opposite him.

"It's time to go, Four." Max told him. Four stood up and waited for the door to his cell to open. Eric moved forward to place a syringe against his neck. Four flinched when he felt a sharp sting as a tracker was injected into him.

"I'd cuff you, but we have a train to catch." Eric smirked, maybe enjoying the moment a little too much.

Four didn't react, although Max made a warning sound toward Eric.

"Let's go, gentlemen."

They walked toward the exit and once outside, waited by the train tracks. Eric checked his watch knowing it wouldn't be long now. He could see Maggie and the others waiting a little further down the line, tension still showing between her and her friends.

When the train approached, they all started running to catch it and once aboard, they sat waiting until they reached Candor. Jack Kang and his assistant were waiting outside the courtroom building when they jumped. Eric could see Maggie, Zeke and Will make their exit not far from where he was.

Jack ushered Max, Eric, Four and the other leaders into the building while everyone else just followed behind in a separate group. Four unsurprisingly was cooperating with everything they asked of him but it didn't pass Eric's notice that he kept glancing at Tris with an unreadable expression on his face.

The room they entered was white and crisp with black accents. It was so sleek and clean but impersonal. Such an unnatural environment for the Dauntless members that they all looked on edge from the moment they arrived.

Jack asked Four to join him at the front of the room while Candor and Dauntless members congregated in the chairs that overlooked them in a semi-circle formation. Eric could also see the leaders of the rest of the factions standing and waiting for the proceedings to begin.

Amongst them, of course was Marcus Eaton and Four tensed up the second he saw his father again. Eric could remember seeing what his father used to do to him in Four's fear landscape and almost felt sorry for him. He was standing as far from Erudite's leader Jeanine Matthews as he possibly could, opting to converse with Johanna Reyes from Amity instead. He was expertly putting on a show of interest in what she had to say, all the while watching Four with a scary kind of intensity and Eric immediately got a bad vibe from him.

Once everybody had taken their seats, Jack stood at the centre of the courtroom to begin the proceedings.

"Welcome, everyone. I am Jack Kang and I will be presiding over this hearing." He began and the room went completely silent as he continued. "This is a criminal trial before the Court of Chicago involving the charges against Tobias Eaton of conspiring to attack the faction of Amity, resulting in the death of Dauntless member, Uriah Pedrad."

Eric had to hand it to Four, he was taking the entire situation well. He stood quietly, back straight and shoulders squared, ready to face this head-on. Jack was continuing with his speech. He had a calm way about him and the means in which he commanded the room was impressive.

Another Candor man stepped forward to administer Four with their truth serum. Four flinched a little at the feel of yet another needle to his neck and they waited briefly for the serum to start to take effect.

"Tobias, how long were you aware of the location of the factionless' hideout?" Jack questioned him. Four looked unwell as a result of the serum. He was breathing heavily and sweat was dripping from his face.

"For several months. I went looking for them just after their bombing of Dauntless."

"Did you search for them alone?"

"At first I went under the watch of Eric and a surveillance team."

"At first?" Jack repeated. "What changed?" Four struggled under the feeling the serum was giving him as he tried to resist answering. No way did he want his father to know any of this.

"I was found by the factionless' second in command. He informed me that their leader had been searching for me."

"Why was their leader searching for you?"

"Because she is my mother." Eric observed as Four's answer made Marcus go white in surprise.

"That's not possible." He breathed out, interrupting Jack's proceedings. Much to Eric's wonder, Jeanine Matthews didn't look anywhere near as shocked as the rest of the leaders there.

"It was my understanding that Evelyn Eaton died several years ago." Jack stated.

"She faked her death to get away from my abusive father. I understand that some Erudites helped her." Jeanine looked uncomfortable at the last part of his statement but the rest of the courtroom were fixated on Four's admission of his father's abusive nature. They erupted into astonished whispers while Marcus looked like he wanted to escape.

"Please settle down." Jack called out to quieten everyone. "What did Evelyn want with you?"

"She was trying to recruit me as a spy." Eric could almost feel the emotion coming from the area where Maggie and Zeke were sitting. Each looked pissed at his admission and Eric couldn't help but think what a traitor he had turned out to be. Jack remained impassive and professional while he continued on.

"And what answer did you give her?"

"I didn't give her one. I returned to Dauntless not long after that."

"And, what report did you give to your superiors upon your return?"

Eric could see Four look up at Tris who was staying strong for him. They knew this answer well, Tris better than anybody.

"I told them I hadn't found anything. After that, I would go out to see my mother without it being sanctioned by Dauntless and I kept it a secret from everyone."

"At any point, did you give the Factionless information about any of the factions in the city?" Jack asked as he stood face to face with Four. Eric watched with interest given that this was something he had been dying to know since he found out about Four's discretion.

"No."

"Finally, were you given information regarding their plan to attack Amity?"

"I was not informed of their plan to attack until after it was all over. After that I left their hideout and I haven't seen them since." Four answered firmly. Jack nodded, satisfied with the information he had gathered.

"Thank you for your candor."

The rest of candor's faction present repeated this line and Four was asked to take a seat next to Max at the front of the room.

Proceedings after that went on and on in a dull fashion as several of Four's friends and colleagues were called up as character witnesses, either to help him or to convict him and Eric was beginning to tire of how tedious it all was.

Zeke was clearly still angry but gave an unbiased and honest account of Four's disposition, as did Will. His testimony was an emotional one as he was asked to relay the events of the day Uriah had been killed. He had broken down, causing tears to flow freely from many in the room and Eric himself struggled to remain composed as he listened.

After Will returned to his seat, it was Maggie's turn and she was already distressed from sitting through Will's testament that her anger and blame was obvious to everyone. Eric too, felt as angry and spiteful towards Four and couldn't blame Maggie for speaking on it. It appeared, however, that Ro, Tris and Christina were less that pleased with her, looking on in disapproval. Of course, Four just sat quietly and took it.

There was a brief recess so that the main leaders of each faction could discuss what the rest of the witnesses there would have to vote on. In that time, Eric went over to Maggie, Zeke and Will to check how they were all coping. He held onto Maggie as she leaned heavily into his chest and he knew it was taking a lot out of her.

"It's nearly over baby. You're doing great." He whispered in her ear and she clung to him tighter.

When Max, Johanna, Marcus, Jeanine and Jack returned, everyone else found their seats and waited silently for Jack to address them.

"We have carefully considered all the information we have been given today and a decision falls to all of you." He started before turning directly to Four. "Tobias Eaton, we, the leaders have found you not guilty of conspiring to attack Amity."

Tris looked temporarily relieved before Jack continued.

"There is now the question of whether your failure to give up the factionless' whereabouts contributed to the death of Uriah Pedrad. This decision, we leave to the people present today to vote upon. This does not need to be unanimous." He explained to everyone. "If the majority feels that Tobias is innocent, he will be free to return to Dauntless with a three-month suspension from his duties and must not leave his faction under any circumstances for this period. If found guilty, he will be sentenced to death."

There were murmurings throughout the room again and Eric could see each of Four's friends react to this news. As for everyone else, it was difficult to tell which way the vote would go.

"Alright." Jack pulled them back to attention again. "Let's vote."

 **Ugh, this chapter took me days to write. DAYS! I kept putting off the trial, adding in extra moments to procrastinate but that just makes it longer right? I've never been a fan of courtroom stuff in books and films so I had no idea what I was doing. Does it show? Please don't judge too harshly! I know court proceedings don't go like that but I had to take some creative liberties to make the outcome fit with my story plan. Thanks for the new follows, favourites and Reviews! Please keep writing them lovely people because I love to know what you think xx**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Maggie set up a bed in the corner of the staffroom at the back of the infirmary. She sat down on the edge of it, head in hands, wondering how everything in her life was falling apart so quickly. Really, in the span of a few short days, her best friend had died, she'd lost all of her friendships and now her lover. She thought back to a couple hours earlier, remembering how the trial worked out.

"All those who believe in Tobias' guilt, raise your hand." Jack had prompted the group. Maggie looked around the room to see a large number of people with their hands up. She could see Eric watching her, his own hand raised clearly for Jack to see. He was waiting for her to join him.

" _Are you with me Maggie?"_ he had continually asked her before the trial. He had wanted to know that they were united no matter what but this was wrong and she couldn't go through with it.

 _I'm sorry Eric._ She thought as she kept her hand down. Will and Zeke looking to her before quickly choosing her side as well. She could see Eric's face harden in response momentarily before he trained it back to a blank canvas. Maggie's blood turned cold in her veins, wondering if he would ever forgive her for this.

"Those who believe in his innocence?" Jack asked after the first voters were counted. Maggie and all of Four's friends along with several others in the room raised their hands and that was when she saw Eric turn away from her.

As it turned out, the votes were so close that her change of heart made all the difference. As soon as the votes were counted, Jack nodded and with a barely detectable upturn to his lips, he told the courtroom that Four was free to go back to Dauntless with his short suspension.

The train ride home had been tense to say the least. There were several Dauntless members who were none too happy about the decision, Eric included. Four travelled back with Tris in his arms the entire way, Ro and Christina standing nearby. Will had decided to join them and Maggie could see him shaking Four's hand and Christina pulling him in for a kiss. Zeke had spoken to them briefly, not really looking at Four before he stood alone, watching the city blur past. Maggie couldn't bring herself to move from her spot, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone, she simply sat by the wall and looked at her hands.

When they reached the compound and everyone else started to jump, she was tempted to stay on the train for a while but it was getting late and she needed to speak to Eric. He headed to his office as soon as they got back so Maggie went to his apartment to wait for him.

It was almost an hour later that she heard the front door open and he sauntered in looking dangerously calm. Maggie's heart caught in her throat, not knowing what to expect from him. She took a deep breath, wanting to clear the air so that they could move forward.

"Eric," as soon as she began to speak, he cut her off.

"You said you were with me." His neutral face very quickly turned dark and dangerous and Maggie's heart slammed against her ribs.

"I couldn't let him die too." She stated, trying to sound more confident in her decision than she felt.

"You've let your friendships cloud your judgement on this."

"He didn't mean for everything with Uriah to happen." Maggie said weakly.

"This isn't about Uriah anymore!" Eric shouted, he grabbed hold of a glass that had been sitting on the counter and flung it across the room where it shattered, causing Maggie to jump in shock. He was beyond furious and Maggie felt fear prickling through her.

"Thirty years the Factionless have been killing us off. Thirty years they have been terrorizing us! We haven't known a world where we're not at war, Maggie, and if Four had come forward when he had the chance, we could have ended things by now. Now they're gone again and our chances are as small as ever. That's what you're not getting. He committed treason and you just let him walk."

"We'll find a way to stop them." Maggie wasn't sure if she believed that but she needed to calm Eric down. He was starting to scare her.

"No, we won't!" he growled out, getting right up in her face until she flinched back from him. "Just get the hell out, Maggie. I can't even look at you right now." He turned his head, jaw clenched and Maggie felt like she'd been slapped. Tears prickled in her eyes as she picked up her belongings and walked to the door. She turned around to look at him but he was very focussed on the view outside his window to take notice so she left before the first tears could fall.

She had no clue where she could go. She and Ro were hardly on speaking terms and it felt like all Maggie's bridges had been burned. She went to the only place left and that is how she found herself in the infirmary, completely lost and alone with nobody to keep the pain at bay. She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling as the tears flowed freely from her eyes.

 **. . . . .**

"We've swept through the rest of this section," Eric stood in Max's office in front of the map of the city. "but we still haven't spotted anything. Anywhere we've cleared, we've set up new cameras to make sure they aren't showing up after us."

It had been almost three weeks since Four's trial and Eric had gone out each day with the patrol crews trying to find the Factionless' new hideout. With almost the entire city searched through, he was beyond frustrated that no trace of them had been found yet. It seemed the longer they looked, the less likely they would find them.

"This is ridiculous! How do that many people just disappear?" Max voiced Eric's own thoughts. Eric rubbed his hand over his face, tired and agitated. It was late on a Thursday night and Eric was faced with an ongoing dilemma of staying back and staring at the same map, trying to figure out the factionless puzzle or going back to his quiet apartment and his cold, empty bed where sleep wouldn't come and the hours would creep by, reminding him of how solitary his life had become again.

He hadn't spoken to Maggie since he had told her to leave. They had seen each other in passing several times but she never stopped to acknowledge him, nor would her eyes linger in his direction. He never saw her in the mess hall and just assumed that Ro must bring her food to her in the apartment so that Maggie didn't have to run into him.

She had opted to work full-time at the infirmary to get her medical training finished and he knew she was getting really close to the end now. He wasn't sure if they would work together when she returned to the patrol crews but he was doing everything in his power to stop that from being a possibility.

He had never meant to end things with her but it just happened that way and now all that was left was to get on with his life. He worked long hours every day of the week and made sure to only go home when he was sure his exhaustion would allow him to rest properly. If Max had notice the change in Eric, he never said anything and the two of them were more determined than ever to see the end of this mission.

"You look like hell, son. Why don't you go get some sleep?" Max suggested. Eric shrugged, not wanting to comply.

"There has to be something we're missing." He avoided answering Max directly.

"Well, some fresh eyes might be able to see it easier. Go home." Max used his authority to get Eric to move from his spot.

"Alright. I'll check in again when we get back to the compound tomorrow." Eric stated before leaving.

When he got home, he looked at his bed. In his mind, he could feel her warmth curled up next to him. He could smell the subtle perfume she used and he could taste the saltiness of her skin. Feeling angry with her and with himself for ruining everything, he took his pillow and a blanket out to his usual spot on the couch. He still couldn't bring himself to sleep on the bed without her and wondered if he'd ever feel normal again.

 **. . . . .**

Four was going out of his mind. He hadn't been allowed to do any work or go anywhere since he'd gotten back from the trial. Although he was relieved that it was all over and that he had been freed, he still felt responsible and the inactivity wasn't doing anything to distract him. Tris had been by his side as much as she could be but he just wanted to get back to work and now that he knew the lengths his mother was willing to go to, he wanted nothing more than to find her and stop her himself.

He was sitting on Ro and Maggie's couch – if it could be considered Maggie's anymore – with Tris and Will while Ro and Christina picked up some food for them all to share. Four hadn't gotten to talk to Zeke yet and he hadn't seen Maggie around lately. He missed them and the dynamic of his friend's circle had shifted so dramatically that it just didn't seem right somehow.

Will was still working out on patrols with Zeke and they still spent time together outside of work sometimes, so Four knew that in his own way, Zeke was coping and trying to start over. Maggie was another story, though and Four was worried about her. It couldn't be good for her to shut herself away with Eric and only see things from his point of view.

Once the girls had returned, Four made room for Ro to join him.

"Have you seen Maggie lately?" he leaned in to whisper to her when the rest of the group were distracted. He didn't miss the way Ro tensed up at the mention of Maggie's name.

"No. She hasn't been here since before the trial."

This bothered Four. He had made himself scarce since everything had happened but he couldn't remember seeing Maggie even from a distance in all that time.

"I don't remember seeing her at the mess or out anywhere." Four told Ro who put her fork down, frowning slightly.

"I'm sure she's just sulking at Eric's. If she wants to talk to us, she knows where we are."

"I never wanted things to get so bad between everyone." Four confessed, feeling guilty all over again.

"We all know that." Ro reassured him. "Maggie is just being a stubborn cow. I'm sure once her honeymoon period with Eric is over, she'll find the time to apologise to you for the way she's been acting."

Four didn't think Maggie was the one who needed to apologise. He got a heavy feeling in his gut that things weren't quite as simple in Maggie's world right now and it was getting more and more difficult for him to ignore.

 **. . . . .**

The next morning, Four was heading toward the new gym when he ran into Zeke coming out. They both paused, an awkward tension between them. Four couldn't remember ever having trouble talking to Zeke before but things were different now. He was grateful that Zeke had voted to save his life but he needed a way to make things right again.

"Four." Zeke acknowledged him stiffly before moving to walk around him.

Four paused, closing his eyes and slumping slightly, trying not to feel defeated before he'd even begun. He racked his brain, trying to figure out what Zeke would need before he could forgive him.

He spent his entire workout working through the problem. He knew that Zeke would want to see Evelyn brought to justice and he also figured that his loyalty was still in question in Zeke's eyes. Four would have to be the one to bring her to him. It was all he could think of to prove to Zeke that he was sorry and that he never meant for this to happen. The only question left was how in the hell was he going to find her.

Four later found Zeke on his way out to the patrol trucks. He didn't have much else to lose and figured it was time to fix things between them.

"Hey." He started. Zeke narrowed his eyes, not saying anything. "I know things are different now and that you have every reason to blame me for everything." He spoke sincerely while he still had Zeke's attention. "You've been going over the city for weeks trying to flush her out but I think you're going about it the wrong way."

That certainly piqued Zeke's interest.

"You saying you know where she is?" he demanded.

Four shook his head. "No. But I think I know a better way to find her. But I need your help."

Zeke wasn't able to hide how torn he was feeling about teaming up with Four but he needed this. He was through with living in the same place as the woman who took his brother's life.

"Ok. What do we need to do?"

 **. . . . .**

The night had cooled down considerably in the past hour and Maggie was regretting not sneaking out with a thicker blanket. She hadn't even gotten a coat in her haste to leave. Dieter was growing suspicious of her sleeping arrangements and was starting to ask a few too many questions for her comfort.

She had been staying sort-of contentedly at the back of the infirmary and would always clear up her bed before anyone came in each morning. Dieter had proven to be a lot more observant than Maggie had given him credit for and she needed to squash his suspicions. There was no way she was prepared to face either Ro or Eric just yet so she'd had to make other living arrangements.

Most nights she would set up a camp of sorts out beyond any of the factions, overlooking the fairgrounds. They were eerie in the dead of night and Maggie would often find herself shivering but not from the cold. Every time she took in the view, she would remember the last time she came here with Uri and Zeke and her heart would hurt beyond anything she could remember experiencing before.

She had been forcing all thoughts of Eric from her mind with some success. She had been so busy each day in the infirmary between her theoretical lessons to her practical training that it was a good distraction for her. The nights were still proving to be a challenge, though. Especially now that she had no real bed to sleep in. She had a decent perch on one of the sideshow booths higher up that was structurally sound and even though it did a good enough job of blocking the wind and other elements, it wasn't enough to comfort her.

Many times, Maggie had been tempted to sneak some sleeping pills out of the infirmary stores but she knew that would be grounds for her instant dismissal and she didn't need to pile anything else onto her long list of problems.

She was thoroughly ashamed of herself for how she had handled the lead up to Four's trial and she hadn't found the courage to speak to him about it yet. She didn't deserve forgiveness from him, from Ro or from anyone else. Worst of all she had let Eric down when he had needed her in his corner. Without meaning to, Maggie had alienated herself from every person who was important to her and all that was left was for her to struggle through on her own.

Or to freeze to death out here in this abandoned place. Whichever came first. The all too familiar tears were threatening to fall from her eyes and she once again gave in, crying violently into the late hours, or the early ones, knowing that nobody would be able to hear her out here.

 **So, Maggie is in a dark place right now. I know depressive episodes can make everything look hopeless and that is really where Maggie is at the moment. She has never grieved on her own before either and I want to see if she has the strength to make it. I hope you're all still enjoying the story. It hasn't been much fun lately, I know. Let me know what you think and take care until my next instalment xx**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"Alright, just sign here and I'll put in the paperwork. Congratulations Maggie, you've done really well." Dieter was signing off on Maggie's training and as proud and accomplished as she should feel, Maggie struggled to feel any kind of positive emotion these days. She had been working hard for months to reach this milestone and when this journey began, Maggie had thought there would be people in her life to share it with.

"Thanks Dieter. For everything." She did her best to sound happy and hoped it was enough to fool her mentor. The look on his face told her it wasn't.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" he asked her with his eyes focused on her. Maggie took in a deep breath and shook her head.

"Everything's great! Couldn't be better." She lied.

Dieter placed a hand on hers before speaking again.

"I know that things have been rough for you lately and that you haven't had your usual multitude of visitors."

Maggie's shoulders slumped slightly, wondering how much else he had noticed.

"I also know you had been sleeping here until recently. You've been sneaking out of the compound a lot these past few weeks." Apparently, he had noticed a lot.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you." Maggie confessed almost silently.

"You don't have to tell me anything. There are beds here you're welcome to if that's what you need. Just please don't go out there alone anymore."

His sincerity and concern had her feeling guiltier than she was willing to admit so she agreed. Truthfully it was a relief to know she would have a bed to sleep in. The nights were cold out there and from the look of the sky today, there would be some bad weather heading their way soon.

With his concern quietened for the time being, Dieter began stacking the papers into a neat pile.

"Now all that's left is for you to hand this in to leadership so you can start your medical position officially."

Maggie's heart sunk. The last thing she wanted was to have to talk to Eric. She could still see the way he had looked at her the last time they had spoken every time she closed her eyes. They had strategically avoided each other ever since and she still wasn't ready to confront him or everything that had transpired between them.

"I'm sure Max would like to hear from you personally about it all." Maggie tried her luck at getting out of going there. The look Dieter gave her said that he could see what she was trying to get out of.

"Actually, I know he would love to see you with your new qualifications in hand. He's been in every week to check on your progress."

"Really? Why?" This surprised Maggie. Sure, Max had sounded pleased to know Maggie had found a way to assimilate into the faction using her aptitudes to her favour but beyond that, she'd never really given any thought to it.

"You would have to ask him that." Dieter answered with a shrug. After noticing the apprehension on Maggie's face, he added "As far as I know most of the leaders are out with the patrols coordinating the search. Max might be the only one in the office for the day."

Maggie gave a small laugh.

"Thanks."

"Oh, and Maggie." Dieter called to her as she was getting up to leave. "You really should be proud of what you've achieved here. No matter what else is going on in your life."

Maggie gave him a tight smile before leaving for the leadership offices.

It was late in the afternoon and she wanted to hand over the paperwork to Max before Eric returned if he really was out on patrols right now. Tomorrow she would be back to full-time out with them but hopefully she would be put on a different crew to whichever one he was joining. It really didn't matter to Maggie who she worked with as long as it wasn't Eric.

She weaved through the mostly empty faction, enjoying the quiet. With any luck, she would be done with Max in time to grab an early dinner before anybody she knew went to the mess hall and then she could retreat to the infirmary to settle in for the night.

The leadership offices had an eerie feel to them as she walked in. She couldn't remember ever seeing the place so empty. Maggie moved swiftly passed Eric's office, forcing herself not to look inside as she beelined towards Max's open door. The first thing she noticed was that Max wasn't there. It didn't seem right that nobody from leadership would stay behind to keep things running smoothly. There was a large map of the city complete with thumbtacks of notes stuck all over it. Clearly, they had searched almost the entire area and were still coming up with nothing.

Maggie placed her stack of paperwork on Max's desk before she decided to leave him a quick note as explanation. Having barely written a sentence, a sound from his door alerted her that she was no longer alone. Looking up, Maggie could see Eric leaning on the door frame, arms crossed with an unreadable expression on his face. Her heart jumped in surprise, leaving her feeling unsettled and nervous.

He didn't say anything at first and the longer they stood there looking at each other, the more unsure of herself Maggie felt. She had no idea whether she should continue the note or just get the hell out of there and fast but for now, she was glued to the spot by his intense gaze upon her.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked her so quietly that she couldn't place the tone of his voice. His stance hadn't changed in the time – moments or minutes she couldn't tell – he had been watching her and their time apart had rendered Maggie unable to get a read on him anymore.

Maggie straightened up from her stooped position and gestured to the pile of papers in front of her on the desk.

"I have some paperwork for Max." she told him, glad to sound far calmer than she felt. Eric pushed off the door frame and stalked slowly towards her, reminiscent of the days he used to pursue her before she finally gave in to him.

He looked as glorious as he ever had, standing tall and confident, squared shoulders, groomed hair and striking eyes. Maggie wished not to miss him desperately as he loomed ever closer and the pain in her heart erupted to new heights. He bypassed the desk, moving around it so that they were both standing on the same side, barely a foot apart when he finally stopped walking.

He reached his hand out in silent gesture for her to hand the papers to him. He could just as easily have reached for them himself, she knew, but he halted halfway there, watching her expectantly.

"I'll make sure he gets them." He told her with and awkward kind of professional tenor that didn't suit him. Perhaps he was more uncomfortable in her presence than he had been letting on.

Maggie reached down to pick up the paperwork and with shaky hands, passed them on to him. His hand skimmed against hers and she felt its warmth radiate through her. He lingered just for a moment before pulling back, her warm feeling gone with it. She turned and began walking toward the door, trying to ignore Eric blatantly reading over the pages right in front of her.

When she reached the door Eric cleared his throat, watching her once more. She turned, meeting his gaze. He gestured to the papers slightly, still more awkward than Maggie could remember him being before.

"Congratulations." He told her softly. A little too surprised to know how to respond, Maggie managed some mumbled thanks before she left the office.

Too shaken up at talking to Eric for the first time in weeks, Maggie had little appetite so she took to walking around the halls while they were still quiet. She reached her old floor and the door they had painted when they moved in. She missed Ro. They had only been friends for such a short time but just like Eric, Ro had become an important part of her life and now there was a gaping hole of guilt and regret.

Not wanting to linger in places that caused her pain, Maggie continued to the chasm and sat down with her feet dangling over the edge. She sat and watched the water rush past and let herself become mesmerised by the sound.

 **. . . . .**

It had been a few hours since Eric's encounter with Maggie and the patrol crews had returned not long after she left. Max had wanted to go out with them that day to observe their procedures and lend his fresh eyes to the mission. This left Eric staying back in Dauntless to coordinate and run everything else. He and Max had both been feeling so frustrated about the factionless that they were relieved to switch roles for a few hours to change things up a little.

He had been blissfully distracted for most of the day until Maggie had walked passed his office door and straight into Max's. He was proud of how well she had done with her course and impressed that she had gotten through it as quickly as she had. He couldn't help but wish that he would be there to help her celebrate her achievements but it was too late for them. She had her friends to turn to in these times and he simply wasn't a part of her anymore, if he ever truly was to begin with.

Max had briefly met with Eric in his office to go over their sweep for the day and so Eric could brief him on the comings and goings at Dauntless over the past several hours.

"Oh, one last thing." Eric told him, sounding casual even though he didn't feel it. He picked up the file Maggie had given him. "Maggie dropped this off earlier. She's all signed off on her training and is ready to re-join the patrol crews as a medic."

Eric watched as Max's face lit up reading the file.

"Finally, some good news. I'm sure she's anxious to get out with her crew again."

"I'm sure she is." Eric replied under his breath.

Once Max had filed her paperwork away, he gathered his things together.

"Come on. Let's grab dinner. We have plenty to talk about." He said to Eric, leading the way out of the office and toward the mess hall.

Upon reaching it, Eric could see Zeke sitting with Brad and Jason from his patrol crew and the rest of Maggie's friends were a few tables over, Four sitting with them looking as though nothing had happened. He could see Zeke shoot glances in Four's direction every now and then while maintaining his conversation with his colleagues.

Eric was surprised that Maggie wasn't present at either table and looked around the room in hopes of glimpsing her. As far as he could tell, she was nowhere in sight. He sat with Max at the leadership table and they began going over their plans for the rest of the week. Their sweep of the city was nearing its end and they had come up with nothing thus far. Eric was beginning to wonder if they might benefit from recruiting Four to consult on the matter. The idea left a bitter taste in his mouth and Eric still blamed him for Dauntless' current state and for the suffering he was going through in his personal life.

It was as if Four could sense Eric's eyes on him because he looked up and caught him mid-glare. Eric willed all his anger toward Four with is glower but after years of disdain for each other, Four was unfazed and turned away.

He had been sitting with Max for almost fifteen minutes, his meal mostly done when he saw Maggie bustle in from the side. She looked to be in a hurry, with her head trained toward the smorgasbord. He found it odd that she hadn't bothered to find where her friends were sitting as she went up and gathered a meal together. It didn't escape his attention that she was putting her meal in a to-go container either.

He glanced at Four's table to see that only Four seemed to be paying her any attention and dare Eric say it, Four even looked concerned for her. With her container filled she glanced up, almost accidentally and looked toward Ro and the rest of them before lowering her gaze back to the floor as she rushed toward the exit.

Eric narrowed his eyes in confusion. _What the hell?_ He wondered. Four met his gaze looking equally as perplexed. His eyes lingered on the door Maggie had left through knowing it was in the opposite direction from housing and wondered where she could be going.

Later that night, Eric found himself standing in front of Maggie and Ro's apartment door, wondering if he should knock or turn around and leave. He could hear hushed voices inside but they were too quiet for him to discern who they belonged to. After weeks of trying to block out all thoughts of Maggie, he was failing and starting to worry about her. He just needed to know things were ok between her and Ro to know that she was alright.

When he knocked firmly, he heard the voices stop and someone began shuffling around on the other side. When the door opened the tiniest crack, Eric could see Ro peeking out at him.

"Eric." she greeted, opening the door just wide enough that she could squeeze through and closed the door so that they were both standing out in the hallway.

"I didn't realise I wasn't welcome in your home anymore." He bit out, surprised at how much had changed lately.

"What do you want Eric? I'm busy." Ro sighed in exasperation, clearly not happy with his interruption.

"I don't mean to take up so much of your precious time." He hissed out, unimpressed with her lack of respect toward him. Ro didn't react at all and he just wanted to find out what he came here to learn and then he'd be on his way again.

"I just want to know that Maggie is ok." He told her, not wanting to sound defeated.

"What do you mean?" Ro crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What did you do to her?"

"What? Nothing!" Eric defended himself. "I was just surprised that she didn't stop to celebrate with you in the mess hall earlier. It isn't like her."

"Celebrate what?" Ro asked, interest piqued despite herself.

"You don't know? She finished her medic course today. Handed the paperwork in a few hours ago. How can you not know that?"

"You know full well that we haven't spoken in weeks, Why would she tell me what's been going on in her life now?"

Eric stared at her in disbelief.

"You haven't spoken? At all?"

"You know all of this already, Eric! She's been living with you." Ro snapped. Her look of anger quickly changed when she noticed the shocked expression Eric was wearing. "Hasn't she?" she added on at the end.

"No." he answered. "We split up the day of the trial. Today was the first time we've spoken since."

"Then where has she been staying all this time?" Ro demanded angrily.

"I don't know. Let's find out."

At Eric's urgings, Ro's eyes widened slightly.

"I can't right now."

"Why not?"

"I have company." She reluctantly tried to explain.

"Whatever." Eric scoffed as he turned away. "You know, you're a shitty friend." He called to her as he walked down the hall.

"The hell I am! I thought she was safe with you!" She called back but Eric was gone and Ro let herself back into the apartment riddled with guilt.

 **. . . . .**

Eric figured the only two people who could have been spending any kind of time with Maggie lately had to be Zeke and Dieter. He'd been working with Zeke out on the patrols regularly enough that he would have said something to Eric if he knew. That left Dieter so Eric decided to start at the infirmary.

Before he could reach his destination, he was distracted by the sight of Zeke and Four leaving the compound through the kitchen exit together. Intrigued that the two of them should be doing anything collectively anymore combined with Four's ban on leaving Dauntless, Eric figured Maggie would have to wait.

He snuck out through the same door, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The other two men were nowhere in sight. Checking his watch, Eric knew a train was scheduled to pass by in the next few minutes so he found himself wandering silently toward the train tracks to see if he could spot them.

His instincts turned out to be bang-on when he found them standing by the tracks, checking over the few weapons they had with them. Neither Zeke, nor Four were talking, in fact, Eric could see that Zeke still hadn't let go of his anger toward his former friend. Whatever they were doing, Zeke was a reluctant participant. Regardless of Zeke's stance on this current situation, Eric was pissed that Four was out of the compound at all after what he had done.

"Going somewhere?" he called out causing Zeke and Four to jump in surprise.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Four demanded as Eric got closer.

"Just go ahead and catch that train." Eric dared "Nothing will make me happier than arresting you for breaking your little house arrest."

"Nothing, huh? What about stopping Evelyn once and for all?"

Eric narrowed his eyes and looked between the other two. Zeke rubbed the back of his head, uncomfortable and abashed at being caught out here at all.

"Four thinks he might know how to find her."

Eric shook his head. "You've been with us for every patrol sweep of the city. We'll get her without breaking the law."

"How is that working out so far?" Four cut in. "I know her better than anyone and she might not have meant to but she left me with a few ideas of other locations they could hide out in."

Eric turned his full attention to Zeke.

"Do you really believe this bullshit?" Zeke just shrugged noncommittally.

"It's worth a shot. The patrols haven't found shit and I'm sick of waiting."

"Eric, I know you and I have never agreed on anything and that you blame me for Uriah and everything else. I want to make this right. I think I can find her." Four urged Eric to let him go. Eric listened as the train approached, trying to work out what to do.

He poked Four hard in the chest with his pointer finger. "Trial be damned Four, if you're lying about this, I'll shoot you on the spot."

And the three men began running to catch the train.

 **Well, now some of them know about Maggie but what will they do about it? I hope you liked the chapter. As swiftly as I found my writing mojo, I lost it again. Please let me know what you think. I'm excited to have gotten over 100 reviews, I honestly never expected that. You are all awesome xx**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Eric was surprised and frustrated that they had missed this entrance when they had done their first sweep. It was a separate underground area underneath where the abnegation homes were located.

"What the hell is this place?" Eric demanded of Four as he looked around the empty space.

"Parts of the railway used to go underground before the war. Through the years, knowledge of it must have been lost. I remember seeing plans for it in Evelyn's office one of the times she left me there for hours alone, though I don't know how she found them." Four answered with a hint of bitterness to his voice.

Eric shone a flashlight around the cavernous area, wondering how far it stretched.

"Zeke, go look to the south-west. See if there's any sign that the factionless have equipped it to house their people or if it has any potential to. We'll check out everywhere else."

"Alright." Zeke agreed. He'd been quiet their entire trip and Eric could tell Four had roped him into doing this with him. Admittedly, Eric was surprised at what they had found and it almost made more sense for a smaller group to search these places to avoid spooking Evelyn into moving on again. It was also a greater risk and Eric was sure Max would have to be informed of this as soon as they returned.

The place didn't look like much. Just a large cavern with gritty floors and walls that looked like they would cave-in at any moment. As Eric and Four walked along, not much changed to the appearance. It wasn't until they reached some kind of service door that there was any hope of discovering anything.

Eric checked its handle, trying to open it but it was rusted shut. The hinges were also rusty and old. Four motioned Eric to the side and gave the handle a few solid kicks before it began to budge. Eric watched Four work, remembering the foe he had found in him during their initiation and how he had spent the last few years forgetting that Four was a lot stronger than he looked. It was easy to overlook someone who spent their time watching a computer screen. He knew that he would have to keep a close eye on Four if he didn't want him to slip away and back into Evelyn's ranks.

A few more kicks and barges of the door had it finally bust open and the two men were back to high alert. The light of the torch showed that this space, too, was empty of any signs that people had been here in a long time. It was full of old rusted out control panels and not much space for anything else.

They left the room and determined that the tracks were now on an incline out to the outside again, leaving not much space left that they hadn't checked over.

"Let's head back. They're not here." Eric ordered Four who agreed and they went back in the direction they had come from.

"How many more of these places are there?"

Four frowned slightly, thinking back to the plans he had seen.

"A half dozen or so."

"I want you to show me on a map when we get back to Dauntless."

"Not a chance." Four scoffed. "Either I go out and find them with you or they remain unchecked."

"It's not like you have much of a choice." Eric was fuming. He had already made up his mind to involve Max in this. It wasn't about Four or Maggie anymore. The city was looking to them to stop the factionless once and for all. It was up to them to end this war and Eric knew that he would be willing to sacrifice any shred of happiness if it meant getting his job done right.

 **. . . . .**

Maggie stretched at the sound of her alarm going off. She had set it to give her only enough time to have breakfast before her shift began. She was giving herself the day off from the gym to be well-rested and focused for her new chapter. So what if she was essentially friendless and alone? At least last night Maggie had slept in an actual bed – albeit in the back of the infirmary, it was far more comfortable than where she had spent weeks preceding it.

Perhaps once she was settled in at work again, she would speak to Max about getting a different apartment. She and Ro didn't have to share in the first place. They had just wanted to save up enough points for nicer places but Maggie didn't foresee needing anything special really. She wouldn't be entertaining afterall.

Dressed for the day, she walked out of her little space and through the infirmary to find it as quiet as it had been the night before. There was a small sense of relief at that. Maggie found that she was feeling a bit guilty for leaving the infirmary to return out to the field. There weren't a lot of staff working in there so they were always overworked and lacking in enough sleep. She greeted Marlene as she walked passed. Marlene looked years older now than she had mere weeks before. Back when Uriah was alive, they were falling in love, and she was happy. Now she looked like a woman who had seen too much. Her eyes were dull and without hope and Maggie couldn't help but draw a comparison between Marlene and herself. She knew she had withdrawn completely and was merely going through the motions from one day to the next.

Not wanting to set such a negative mood upon herself so early in the day, she forced herself to think of other things as she moved towards the mess hall. It was quiet, with only a scant few from different patrols fuelling themselves for the day. She liked the quiet and decided to grab a breakfast muffin and a coffee before taking a seat in a darker corner of the room. Before she had taken her first bite, she felt someone sweep out the chair beside hers and sit down. Looking to her side, she was relieved to find it was Zeke.

"M." he greeted quietly. They hadn't spent a lot of time together lately and Maggie regretted that whole heartedly. Whatever she was going through, she knew it was so much worse for him.

"Hey." Her own salutation was awkward and she struggled to meet his eye.

"I haven't seen you much lately." Zeke commented, still studying her face.

"I've had a lot of shifts in the infirmary. Keeping busy, you know." It was a poor explanation and she knew how weak it sounded.

"I heard you're back on crew? You finished your course?" she nodded mutely. He gave her a small smile.

"Well, good. At least now I'll get to see you more." Maggie's guilt was stifling in that moment. How could she have been such a terrible friend to him when he had not left her side after she lost her own family?

"I'm so sorry I haven't been around." She feebly attempted to find the words to explain why she'd been absent from his life but he took pity on her, taking her hand in his. He squeezed it gently, silencing her with a shake of his head. After that they sat in silence, neither really paying much attention to what they were eating but knowing they needed so be doing something.

Maggie didn't fail to notice when Eric entered. His usual confident manner commanding attention without effort, but today it seemed a little off to Maggie, as if he was forcing himself to act normally. She could tell he'd spotted her, even if outwardly, he showed no signs of it. As Eric prepared his meal and morning coffee, he made eye contact with Zeke, something serious passing between the two of them. Maggie could feel Zeke shift in his seat and then he was up.

"I'll see you in a few." He said, before making his way to Eric who was leaving the mess with his plate and cup in hand. His gaze shifted quickly in her direction, lingering on her face. She could see he was deep in thought, almost confused and all she could do was stare straight back. A patrol member walked between them and Eric and Maggie's connection was broken and Eric was walking away, Zeke right beside him.

Maggie knew they had been patrolling together lately, while she had been finishing her course and avoiding everyone and everything. Something felt off about the two of them though and Maggie could feel a pull at the pit of her stomach telling her that something was going on and she wasn't sure if she would like it. Sighing, she leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling, just wishing for a moment to be free of troubles and concerns. With a war going on and being so unsettled in her personal life, it didn't look likely that that hope would come to pass any time soon.

Not wanting to be late on her first day back, Maggie soon left the mess hall to join the other members of the patrol crews and await their orders for the day. Eric was standing front and centre with Zeke right beside him. They were deep in conversation and neither man looked very happy about something. Eventually, Eric began addressing them all but Maggie found herself too preoccupied with whatever was going on between her ex and her brother-figure to hear a word coming out of his mouth. She would get up to speed soon enough with their jobs for the day. She noticed that Zeke's troubled expression had been carefully trained off his face just as Eric's was.

By the time they were all ready to begin boarding their trucks, Maggie's gut was in knots as she went through every possibility she could imagine. She marched over to her usual truck where Zeke was loading up supplies with Brad and Jason but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"You're in 4 with me." Eric stated. He was wearing his no-nonsense expression so Maggie just allowed him to lead her there and began loading up with the rest of the soldiers. Confusion as to why she had been taken off Zeke's crew were the least of her worries right now and she figured that she could go to Zeke directly to request changing back when they were done for the day. Instead of dwelling, Maggie allowed herself to go into autopilot as she completed the usual pre-patrol supply and vehicle checks. She carefully avoided eye contact with Eric because she couldn't predict how she would react to that magnetic pull he held over her.

Things didn't get any less awkward once they were boarded the truck. The other two patrol soldiers on their crew were a stern looking woman with her head completely shaved and covered in tattoos named Kat and another very Dauntless-looking man named Jon who had never particularly liked her. Maggie chose to sit with Kat in the back and stare out the window as they drove, feeling a little miserable she couldn't at least be with Zeke right now.

They spent the day doing checks and sweeps on the outskirts of the city, near the Amity entrance. According to Jon, they'd already gone over this area several times in the last few weeks and he was pissed they were wasting their time there again. Eric's face had turned to stone listening to Jon's complaints so Maggie kept her mouth shut and did her work. The morning dragged on seeming to last forever as the menial work was carried out. When they stopped for lunch, Eric sat next to Maggie, looking directly at her face. Maggie couldn't help the way her body jolted into awareness at his being so close. Suddenly losing her ability to swallow, she abandoned her sandwich and waited for him so speak. He didn't. He just kept watching her as he ate in silence until Maggie couldn't stand it anymore.

"Something you want, Eric?" she demanded, still not looking in his direction.

"What's going on with you?" he sounded genuinely curious, causing Maggie to break her resolve and look at him.

"I'm working. What about you and Zeke? A blind man can tell something is going on."

"Nothing you have clearance to know." He warned with his tone that this wasn't open for discussion. "So, Ro tells me you moved out."

Maggie shrugged, taking a bite of her sandwich for something to do.

"Where are you staying?" he asked softer this time but Maggie just shook her head.

"Nowhere."

"If you need somewhere to stay – "

"Why have you taken me out of Zeke's crew?" Maggie interrupted before Eric could finish that suggestion. She didn't need to hear it to know it was a bad idea under the circumstances and she didn't understand why he was forcing her to be here with him. Eric snapped his mouth shut, training any trace of hurt out of his eyes before turning back to his food. Maggie struggled to not feel guilty for shutting him out so readily but given the last few weeks, she felt justified.

"Zeke is working on something for me. I swapped you out until he's done."

"Is it dangerous?" Maggie asked quietly, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"Not yet. But it could be." Eric answered honestly. "Don't worry, he hasn't left the compound."

Maggie felt even more confused but didn't feel like talking anymore. Eric sensed it and got up from his spot on the ground. He was gone without another word and Maggie spent the rest of the afternoon struggling to concentrate on her job with so many questions.

. . . . .

Eric walked into the pub ready for a strong drink. He knew things between himself and Maggie weren't great anymore but he'd forgotten just how much it stung to be shut down by her. He'd spent the past few weeks telling himself that he could go back to normal like they'd never met but he was lying to himself. His spot on the couch was still set up, his bed left cold and empty every night since they ended things. Really, he didn't know how he would have hidden that from Maggie if she had actually listened to his offer and taken him up on it.

His first glance around the room told him that Maggie wasn't there but all her friends were. They sat in their usual booth, Zeke and Four included although they were separate by almost everyone. Without thinking too much about it, Eric joined them and waived at the bar tender to order them a round.

Ro looked over at him curiously as he settled in and their drinks arrived. Mostly the table was quiet, nobody really comfortable with how things had been handled recently. After a while, they all broke into small conversations, each putting in an effort to make things a little less uncomfortable. When Eric was satisfied that everyone was sufficiently distracted, he began making plans with Zeke for their next outing on their search for the factionless. It was lucky that they were both assigned to patrols for the time being, as their schedules lined up so well. It meant more opportunities to get the job done sooner than later.

All the while, Ro continued to eye him every few minutes, until Eric had had enough of feeling like he was under a microscope.

"Alright, spit it out." He demanded of her.

Ro cleared her throat uncertainly. "I was just wondering if you found Maggie after we spoke last?"

"We went out on the same patrol crew today."

"Is everything ok with her?"

"I wouldn't know. She wasn't exactly in a talkative mood." Eric admitted bitterly.

"And you two really haven't been together since the trial?"

Eric shook his head.

"Then where has she been all this time?" Ro wondered out aloud. She was clearly troubled by the revelation. Eric realised that Ro really had thought Maggie was safe and being taken care of by him. He'd really messed up and he wondered, given Maggie's predisposition to shut out everyone around her when things got hard, whether there was a way to mend this divide between not only himself and Maggie but between Maggie and everyone else she loved.

. . . . .

Four walked through the infirmary doors not long after hearing Ro and Eric's conversation. He hadn't realised Maggies situation and could guess its cause. There was plenty of guilt going around for everyone to share, and he knew it was about time for him to take matters into his own hands. He couldn't right the mistakes of the past. He couldn't bring Uriah back but he could be there to help Maggie heal. Even if she didn't want him in her life anymore. Even if she still hated him and blamed him for this tragic event, he wouldn't budge. He knew enough of Maggie now to see what she needed.

Logically, if she was no longer in a relationship with Eric, and she had moved out of her shared apartment with Ro, the first place Maggie would think to stay would be in the safety of the infirmary. At least Four hoped so.

He could see Dieter with his head burrowed into a pile of paperwork as the infirmary sat in silence. It was almost a comfort to see so few patients in there but Four knew his mother would strike soon and this tranquil scene could only last for so long. He cleared his throat to alert Dieter to his presence and waited for him to look up.

"Four." He greeted, looking a little confused to see him there.

"I'm looking for Maggie." Four started and could see the wheels turning in Dieter's eyes. "She's been staying here, right?"

Four liked Dieter. He knew the doctor wouldn't insult his intelligence by pretending he was wrong.

"Yes. But I don't know where she is right now."

"Do you know when she'll get back?"

Dieter shook his head. "I'm not sure. She is usually here by now." Four looked around the office, wondering if he should wait for her to turn up or leave it for now. "I'm glad to see someone checking up on her." Dieter added "She's not really been herself lately. I look out for her as much as I can, but she needs to reconnect with her friends. It's not healthy, all this isolation."

"I didn't know." Came Four's troubled reply. "Can you tell her I'm looking for her?" he requested, waiting for Dieter's affirmative before leaving.

"Oh, Four." Dieter called after him. "I think you should know, she hasn't been staying here the entire time. Please make sure that whatever is going on with her and your friends, she doesn't sleep out of the compound anymore."

Four's heart flipped as Dieter's words sunk in. How could Maggie, of all people do something so reckless as leave the compound unprotected with a group of murderous rebels terrorizing the city? Could she really be that broken that she would give up caring for her own safety and put the entire faction at risk if Evelyn got her hands on her?

As he marched aimlessly through the hallways, wrestling with this new information he ran head-first into Zeke and Eric coming from the opposite direction.

"Ah, Four." Eric began "Just in time."

Four steadied himself and tried to ignore the look of annoyance on Zeke's face at the mere sight of him.

"We're going on an expedition." Eric continued with a smirk. Four nodded his affirmative and joined them as they headed back out of the compound to wait for the next train.

After hours of touring another of Four's listed sights, the men once again travelled back on the train, empty handed. Four could see Eric's frustration and he too felt it's sting. He wanted to find them probably more than anyone else in Dauntless.

Looking between Zeke and Eric, Four was once again reminded of his revelations earlier in the evening.

"I didn't know you and Maggie had stopped seeing each other."

Eric's warning leer was enough of a confirmation if ever Four saw one. He could see Eric's silent warning to tread carefully on this topic but Four had never been afraid of Eric like others tended to be.

"I thought I'd check up on her earlier, find out where she's been while we all thought she was safe with you." That got Eric's undivided attention and Zeke also looked on, suddenly interested in what Four had to say.

"And what did you find out?" Eric's tone and expression were hard, giving nothing away other than an acute temper coiled beneath the surface that could strike at any moment. Four knew better. He could see the man's genuine interest even if he worked hard to disguise it.

"She's been staying in the infirmary but from what I can tell, that hasn't been for very long. Dieter seems to think she might have been sleeping somewhere outside the compound before coming to him."

"Bullshit! Maggie wouldn't do something so stupid." Eric argued, refusing to believe what Four was telling him. Zeke, however, didn't look too surprised.

"You haven't really known her that long." He interjected, effectively silencing Eric's denial. "That's pretty much exactly what Maggie used to do. Maybe not leaving the compound but trying to prove to herself that she doesn't need anyone."

Four felt a lump in his throat form for her. He had known grief in his lifetime. He knew what it was to not be able to count on someone.

"I know we all have our own ideas about what is right and who fucked up the most but this has gotten out of hand. We don't have to like each other. I just want to set things right with Maggie, find the factionless and see Evelyn brought to trial. I think you can both agree with me on that." He could see them both mulling things over but knew they could tell he was right. It was starting to feel like he'd found the first key to mending their faction and ending this war.

. . . . .

The following night, Maggie stood before Four's apartment door. Her heart was in her throat and she felt ill wondering what the hell she was doing. She hadn't felt nerves like this in a long time and she began to rethink whether it was worth it.

 _Man-up you coward_

She chastised herself internally, forcing her hand to knock before she was able to talk herself out of it. It wasn't long before Tris answered and by the look on her face, Maggie could see that her visit wasn't entirely unexpected. With a small smile, Tris opened the door wide enough for Maggie to enter and she guided her into the main living area.

"I'll just get Four." Was all she said as she left in the direction of their bedroom.

Maggie could hear their exchange and her nausea returned full-force as Four emerged with Tris trailing not far behind.

"I'm going to let you two talk." She said awkwardly as she walked over to the front door. "Good to see you, Maggie. I've missed you."

Knowing Tris' words were genuine did wonders for Maggie's resolve and she was grateful that she wasn't completely unforgivable.

Once they were alone, Maggie drew in a breath, trying to find the words to express her shame and regret. Really, she didn't know where to begin and felt like she was floundering.

"I, uh…" she started, then stopped herself. There was an awkward tension in the room that thankfully Four decided to break.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm so sorry about Uriah. I wish I'd realized Evelyn's plans sooner."

Maggie shook her head insistently. "It wasn't your fault. I know I reacted that way and for a while, I did blame you. But I know how wrong I was. You don't know how sorry I am."

As tears prickled her eyes, Four reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. He held her there as her tears fell silently. It was a comfort to know that even when the damage between the two of them had seemed so bad, there was still a way to fix it. She still needed to clear the air with him properly and as her tears subsided, she continued with her apology.

"No matter how I feel about Evelyn and what she's done, I should never have put that blame on you. I don't think I regret anything more than how I acted toward you at the trial."

Four squeezed her gently, shaking his head.

"Let's not say anything else about it. We both made mistakes. We're both sorry. I think it's time to start moving forward, don't you?"

Maggie smiled. "Yes. I think so."

"Good. Because Eric, Zeke and I have a plan."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Once again I must apologize for the delay. I don't know how time got away from me so quickly. I really want to get this story finished in the next couple of months as I will be welcoming a new addition to my family around Easter time and I don't want to keep you guys waiting even longer once my life gets even more hectic! Thank you for your continued patience and I hope you have enjoyed the latest chapter. It should get a little less depressing after this haha.**


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